The Winds of Change
by Zerojackson
Summary: Taken by an old enemy, Naruto swears to find and bring back one of his precious people. Kakashi, however, has other motives, a mission that will set in motion a chain of events that will drastically alter the ninja world. Destiny's intertwine with a group of missing nin, looking for their teammate. And, why does their leader look like Sasuke? Heavy OC use. Pairings inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody, and welcome to The Winds of Change. I'm the author, Zerojackson. Or Jackson, if you would prefer. I'm here, in this author's note, to tell you about this story your reading right now.**

**I'll start with the obvious focal points of this story. This story has heavy OC use. In fact, this is one of the main points of this fic. My OC's are major parts of this story, and if you don't like that, then that is fine. I can assure you from my own opinions, and some of the other authors on this site that these OC's are not Mary or Gary-Stu's. These are characters with weaknesses, strengths and unique personalities. They will have a major impact on the canon characters, but will have rich story arcs of their own.**

**Another thing I should point out, this story takes place a few days after Orochimaru's invasion. Everything goes widely AU from there. This story, from this point in time, diverges rapidly from canon. However, canon events may happen, but they'll be changed drastically.**

**Now, people usually read stories for the pairings, as do I. This story contains the following pairings:**

**NaruHina.**

**ShikaIno.**

**ShinoKiba (If you have a problem with Yaoi, then this isn't the place for you. While this story will not entirely focus on Yaoi at all, it will be a part of the romances in this fanfiction. Please respect that.)**

**LeeTen.**

**KakaAnko.. (There is a poll on my profile, to decide which pairing will take main point.)**

**AsuKure.(This will be whoever the loser of the poll ends up with.)**

**SakuOC.**

**HanaOC.**

**JirTsu**

**The SakuOC thing was not a misprint. There are two viable options for Sakura to romance in this fanfiction.**

**And finally, onto the spelling and grammar. I do apologize for it during this fic. At the time I did not have a beta reader. However, thanks to a good friend of mine, LuckyGem, I now do. Eventually we will go back through and correct all the spelling and grammar mistakes.**

**Anyway, I will also only be posting one disclaimer for this whole fic. That's just to save time.**

**All author's notes after this chapter were written at the time the chapter came out, so I'll go through and correct/make them better once in a while.**

**So, without further ado, I give you chapter one, of the Winds of Change!**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own the rights to the Manga/Anime Naruto. However, I own all my OC's (with the exception of one, who's 'skeleton' I borrowed and tweaked for this story. That belongs to Bioware) and the plot to this fanfiction.

* * *

The pitter-patter of the rain on the window was soothing to some. But not to Kakashi Hatake. This was one of those days: the type of day when you just want to curl up into a ball and rock in a corner.

But Kakashi had never done that, nor would he start now. As he continued to scrub at the dirty dishes that had sat in the sink for close to a century, thoughts of all the people he had lost crossed his mind: Rin, Obito, Minato… Kakashi's visible eye slanted slightly, and he fought to keep the sigh that threatened to escape from his lips at bay. He lost…

Finally having given up on the dirty dishes (he would do them later; much later), Kakashi slowly opened and closed his cupboards, looking for something to tide him over for the morning. And, of course, he had forgotten to buy some food. Great…

Opening the fridge and scanning its contents, he reached in and grabbed the last two eggs from the egg box.

Taking out the kitchen utensils, Kakashi absently ran his hand through his grey hair. He was getting old. He was only 27, and yet he felt like he had lived for a lot longer. And how he wished it weren't so.

Still, he did have things in his life that he looked forward to somewhat. But they were few and far between.

As he finally finished whisking the eggs into oblivion, Kakashi gazed over towards a picture on the mantle-sill.

The rain definitely empowered the somber mood, and while the copy nin felt as though he would see many more days like this, he took comfort that he at least trained a decent squad. More or less.

And there they all were, smiling and laughing. Well, most of them were. Except for Sasuke.

Naruto was smiling that cheeky smile that he almost always seemed to uphold. Sakura was twiddling a lock of her pink hair in her hands while glancing over towards Sasuke, although she was laughing still. And Sasuke, well, he was trying his hardest to look annoyed as Kakashi ruffled his weird chicken *** head, but the corners of his mouth were upturned slightly. And there he was, Icha Icha in hand, although smiling happily as he stood behind his proud trio.

It was amazing to think that they were 15 now. Times truly had changed since Kakashi was a genin, although the thought discouraged him a bit. It made him sound as if he was as old as…

Well, now the genin graduated at fifteen, rather than twelve. It seemed a good idea. More time to be taught and trained, but the downside was the lack of field experience. Then again most don't live past age fifteen if you're a Shinobi, so at least they were old enough to deal with their hormonal urges.  
Kakashi sighed though as he remembered Sakura's crush on Sasuke. More like infatuation. Still, they were old enough to follow orders…well, except for Naruto. But Naruto was the type of person that no matter how much he annoyed or disobeyed you, you still held him fondly.

So, Kakashi sat down and quickly looked from left to right suspiciously, before pulling down his mask and shovelling in scrambled eggs as quickly as his reflexes would allow him.

He finished off the bowl in no time, and rubbed his stomach. He really hated eggs.

Sighing, he threw the bowl over his head and went to go and get a cold shower. There was a knock on the door.

Kakashi froze in place, instinctively reaching for a weapon. Though admittedly, a lamp wouldn't help much if there was an enemy attack.

"Come in." he called out, and the door swung open.

The figure in the doorway was cloaked, shielding them from the now thunderous pouring rain. The cloak was dripping wet, leaving a thick puddle at the doorway. The figure was definitely female, with her petite frame and small shallow breaths. And spilling out of the cloak, was a lock of pink hair.

"Good morning Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said as she removed the cloak from her head. Her eyes slanted. "Why are you holding a lamp?"

Kakashi just sighed, putting the lamp down and rubbing the back of his head, giving one of his signature 'I got lost on the path of life' grins. "No reason. Come in."

The pinkette nodded and slung her cloak over the coat rack, revealing herself to be wearing a thick woolly pinkish red coat, and a pair of white soft trousers, and brown boots with fur lining the tops.

She scanned around the apartment quickly, and sighed when she noticed the mass of dishes in the sink.

"Really sensei? Is it that hard to wash up?"

Kakashi just smiled sheepishly. "Well, I've never had time. What with you guys taking up most of it." Sakura snorted loudly as she shut the door.

"We never take up any of your time! You're constantly late, and you never do anything worthwhile. Sensei, at least you could be doing your washing up and some chores instead of lying lazily in a tree reading that perverted book!"

"Oh, would you like to borrow it?"

Sakura blushed bright pink, much like her outfit. "No, I would not like to read that filth, you pervert."

Kakashi laughed as he sat down lazily and reached into his pocket, taking out his signature book and flipping through it. "So, did you want something Sakura? Or is this a personal visit?"

"Oh yeah, right! Uh, I was sent by Asuma-sensei to tell you that you're needed at the council chambers shortly."

"Right," Kakashi said rolling his visible eye with disdain. "And what are you doing?"

"I was going to try and find Sasuke and Naruto. They were down at the training fields. Although I would like to help…" she trailed off slightly, her gaze flickering towards the wall.

"Not today Sakura. You need to train. If the sound village attacks again then we need as many trained ninja that we can get our hands on."

She sighed, nodding her head glumly. "I… understand sensei."

"Good. Now run along and find Sasuke and Naruto." The pinkette nodded and grasped at her cloak, slinging it around herself.

"K, see you later Kakashi-sensei!" she said cheerily, her smile strained and her eyes dark.

"And Sakura," he began as she went to leave. "Tomorrow we'll take some missions to help around the village. But today - just train."

The smile that was sent the Jōnin's way was almost blinding, and Sakura gave a cheer. "Thank you sensei!"

And with that, she stepped outside into the cold air and the downpour.

Kakashi chuckled. She definitely was an interesting girl, one that would grow into a strong ninja. And it was all thanks to him.

The Copy Nin shook his head at himself. No, it had nothing to do with him. Team Seven had grown together, as a unit and a family. And it made him glad, glad that they had someone to share life with.

Briefly flicking through the last few pages of the 16th chapter, Kakashi rose, put the book down and went to go get that cold shower.

And then the doorbell rang. The copy nin sighed deeply, and yelled "Come in!"

A female flung the door open with such a force that anyone within a miles radius would cringe.

"Hello Kakashi," she purred seductively, taking off her furry jacket to reveal nothing but a sexy fishnet suit.

Kakashi shook his head at Anko's antics, before saying. "I'm going for a shower. Do with that what you will."

And she did just that.

* * *

"Sasuke, you're not tired are you?"

The question angered the Uchiha greatly, although he knew it to be true. He was tired - deeply tired.

Naruto rubbed his stomach as it grumbled hungrily. "Let's rest. I'm hungry."

Biting back a retort, Sasuke nodded and collapsed onto the ground.

The duo had been training non-stop, desperately trying to forget everything and anything to do with the Chunnin exams and the invasion. But it wasn't working.

Sasuke shook his head unconsciously as he reached into his pack for a bite to eat. An energy bar. Sasuke looked at it with disdain and peeled away the wrapper before taking a quick bite.

To say that he was feeling horrible would be the understatement of the decade. What that freaky child molester Orochimaru had done to him and said to him shook him to the core.

With a deep and creepy laugh, he whispered in the Uchiha's ear. "Sasuke, I can make you powerful enough to kill Itachi. All the power that you seek is with me," he hissed. "Only with me can you defeat Itachi."

Sasuke shivered slightly, taking a bigger bite out of his energy bar. Naruto looked at him curiously.

"Oi, are you okay?" he questioned as he ate some cold ramen. Sasuke nodded glumly, images of Orochimaru, power and _Itachi_ flashed across his mind.

The rain poured in buckets as the two sat under a tree, silently watching the drops hit the earth. With the grey backdrop and the rain, it just added to the dreary and dark atmosphere.

"Teme, do you wanna train?" Naruto questioned after he finished slurping down his sixth bowl of cold ramen. Sasuke shook his head.

"We just trained."

"Yeah, but the rain stopped us. Come on! Let's train!" the blonde whined as he leapt up, raising his fist in the air. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk.

"You are a freak Naruto," he announced but rose. Maybe training would take his mind off of a few certain things.

"Hey! Am not!" Naruto yelled angrily. "And no using that Sharinngen or whatever."

"Sharingan, and why not?"

"'Cause I don't think you can beat me without it."

Sasuke scoffed. "Really?"

Naruto smirked. "Just wait until you see what the Pervy Sage taught me! I'll kick your ass, believe-"

Sasuke brought his fist down on Naruto's head, silencing him. "Quiet Dobe."

The blonde grumbled angrily but followed the raven haired boy out into the thick rain.

Sasuke got into his Taijutsu stance and waited. The rain was the only sound that could be heard for miles around. The constant tapping and rapping was peaceful, but it held a darker meaning.

Naruto too got into his own Taijutsu stance and smirked, mouthing "Get ready to lose Teme."

Sasuke shook his head, before counting down silently. _"Five, four, three, two…"_

And they were off. Sasuke veered forward at lightning fast speed and swung his leg upwards to collide with Naruto's head. The blonde ducked and tried to punch Sasuke in the stomach but the Uchiha caught the fist and sent his own forward. It connected with Naruto's head and he flinched backwards, giving Sasuke enough time to send his other foot into Naruto's face. The blonde was knocked backwards, stunned. The raven haired boy landed on his feet graciously before running forward, his fist drawn backwards. However, he wasn't expecting Naruto to sweep his legs out from under him and kick him in the gut. He flew backwards, and as Naruto sprinted forward Sasuke made some hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A stream of fire erupted from Sasuke's mouth, catching Naruto off guard. He let out a cry of surprise and leapt to the side, narrowly dodging the flames.

"Hey! That's cheating!" he yelled, and Sasuke laughed.

"You didn't say anything about using Ninjutsu." He said calmly. The blonde nin growled and made a hand sign.

"Fine then. Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Ten Naruto's appeared next to the real one, and they all bounded forward, yelling battle cries.

Sasuke didn't wait, leaping upwards and withdrawing multiple kunai and shuriken from his pouch. He threw them down, the barrage of metal hell-bent on sending some shadow clones out of existence.

With a pop, eleven clones disappeared.

Sasuke furrowed his brows in confusion when he felt a hand grab onto his foot. Still suspended in mid-air, he looked down to see Naruto clinging onto his leg smiling gleefully.

"Oh sh-"

Naruto pulled the raven haired boy down with him, twisting himself so he was higher than the teen.

The blonde smirked proudly, before bringing the back of his foot down onto Sasuke's chin. The black haired boy landed with a thud on the ground.

Naruto landed as well, laughing hysterically. Then he heard a hissing.

Looking down at his own leg, there, stuck to the side, was a paper bomb.

"Crap!" he yelled and yanked it off, throwing it to the side. It exploded and knocked the blonde backwards, and he collided with the tree that the duo had been sitting under not too long ago.

Sasuke rose, smirking._ "Naruto's plan was clever, but not as clever as mine."_

"You asshole, are you trying to get me killed!?" the blonde yelled angrily as he touched the back of his head gingerly.

"That was the plan."

"You-"

Naruto sighed, standing up and rubbing the back of his head. "Okay, that was a good spar." He announced sadly. Even without the Sharingan, he had beaten him. Even with the Pervy Sage's help…

"That plan was great Naruto, you really had me surprised."

Naruto's head shot back up, and snapped to the side to stare at Sasuke. "What did you say?" he asked incredulously.

"Nothing. Stop staring at me you freak."

Naruto smirked. "Were you saying how awesome I was?"

"No. Like I said, I have no idea what you are talking about dobe."

Without waiting for another word, Sasuke walked back towards the tree, slung his pack over his shoulder, and walked away silently.

"Hey, where are you going!?"

"Somewhere away from you and your annoying questions."

Naruto just shook his head, and waved at his friend/rival. "See you later Sasuke!"

Naruto grinned mischievously once the dark haired boy had disappeared from view into the forest.

Laughing, the blonde reached into his pack and took out his lunch. "Hehe, the teme doesn't know that I stole the rest of his lunch." Opening the lunch box with glee Naruto's face froze. There was nothing in there. Well, except for a note.

_'Thanks for the food Dobe.'_  
Naruto screamed.

* * *

Sasuke heard the sound of Naruto screaming and smugly smiled. That will teach him to steal an Uchiha's food.

* * *

Naruto cursed to the sky, which was coincidentally now not raining, but still had that thick grey hue of clouds. "Bastard…" he muttered as he stood up, putting his hands in his pockets. He strolled casually away from the tree and into the forest, albeit an opposite direction to Sasuke. He didn't want to see that Teme any time soon.

With his stomach groaning horribly, Naruto started to stagger forwards. "I've only had six cups of ramen! How will I survive on that?!" the blonde shook his head sadly and continued through the thick underbrush.

After walking a while, he heard the distinctive sound of fighting in the vicinity. Automatically, Naruto crouched down and slowly manoeuvred through the forest. As the sounds of fighting got closer, Naruto could distinctly hear barking and panting.

With Naruto being the stealthy person that he is, he decided 'hell, why not?' and jumped out of the forest into a small clearing. And right into the arms of a Hyuga.

* * *

**And there we go! My OC's have not come into it yet, but they will in due time, I assure you. Thank you for reading chapter one. I would love if you could review and give me your thoughts and opinions, it would be a huge help for my writing. Anyway, have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay everyone, welcome to chapter 2 of the Winds of Change! I would like to thank Redzone for my first review, and I wanted to clear something up. Naruto and the gang are fifteen, and Gai's team are sixteen. What does this mean for the story? Nothing. It is purely because they can 'do' more. There slightly more adult, and the way this story is heading, the romance sorta needs it. Canon has not changed; just think that the rookie 9 and co had an extra two years to study and stuff. Naruto is still his goofball like self, as is Kiba and Shino. The only thing they might have done was learn some new Justus, but they will be made up ones like me. Everything was still canon up to this point. Okay? Cool. If any of you have any questions, or just want to chat, pm me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor the characters in it. I own the Ocs, my plotline, and a couple of Justus.**

**Anyway, enjoy! Zerojackson.**

Chapter 2: The Meeting

Kakashi looked at the clock on his bedroom wall. It read 1.00 o'clock.

He was late. Very late.

Carefully untangling himself from Anko's sleeping body, and quietly slipping on his mask and normal attire, the copy nin slipped out to his living room, and out the door of his apartment.

He looked around his apartment complexes balcony, taking in the dreary atmosphere. "At least the rain has stopped." He thought glumly as he leapt over the railing to another building's roof.

And so, he ran across the rooftops as quickly/slowly as he would allow himself. Flipping through Icha Icha while he ran, Kakashi couldn't help the perverted giggle that escaped from his lips. Oh, how he loved Jiraiya and his pervy goodness.

Suddenly, he heard an anguished cry. Turning his head to the side, he noticed a woman, bawling into a Chunnin. Sighing deeply, Kakashi continued to survey the area. The place where the woman was standing was next to a shop; or rather a half destroyed shop. Two other Chunnin were carrying a limp body of a man, who Kakashi presumed was her husband or boyfriend. And then he noticed she was heavily pregnant, and he once again sighed.

Still, he had to press on. If he stopped and stayed for too long, he would want to help. And he was needed with the council. Yay.

And so, Kakashi moved faster than a blur over the rooftops.

Silence. And annoyance. These were the two things that above all floated around the council chambers where Kakashi Hatake was meant to meet them. That was four hours ago.

The impatience was visible to some, especially to Hiashi Hyŭga. He noticed that Tsume Inuzuka was twitching. Rather violently at that. The Hyŭga was too annoyed, not that he would show it of course. He knew better than to let emotions out. Just like his eldest daughter didn't-

His mind snapped away from that thought, his brow creasing. "I will not trouble myself with the failure now." He concluded.

Danzō was tapping his fingers impatiently, although inside his own mind he was grinning maliciously and triumphantly. This was the day that he would usurp that bastard Hiruzen and take control of the hidden leaf village for himself. And then, he would take control of the demon, and bend him to his will. And then the other villages would fall, and he alone would be left standing. Victorious. On the outside, however, he was cool and calm, a calculated stare being levelled amongst all the presences in the room. He would not stand for anybody trying to usurp his throne.

There was a sharp squeak as the huge oak door creaked open slightly. Very slowly and cautiously, a silver haired man peeked in. "Yo."

"Yo!" Tsume roared, standing up and ready to tear Kakashi's head off. "You bastard! I'm going to-"

"Enough!" One of the two elders standing beside Danzō yelled angrily.

Tsume sat down, but that didn't stop the sadistic and malicious grin on her face that spelt out rather clearly. "When we get out of here, I'm going to tear you apart limb from limb!"

Kakashi gulped.

"And where were you Kakashi?" Hiashi questioned as Tsume finally sat down. Kakashi once again rubbed his head gingerly.

"I got lost on the path of life."

Tsume at this point was escorted out of the room. "Anyway," Danzō began sighing. "I have called you all here today for a purpose. Today, the elders have decided that I should be-"

"Actually, Danzō," the elder woman interrupted. "We have decided that you shall not be Hokage."

Danzō froze, and scowled deeply. He clenched his fists, but nodded. "Very well," he said in a monotone voice. "And who may I ask will be taking the spot of our esteemed leader?"

"We have sent Jiraiya to find Tsunade, and convince her to take role of Hokage."

"But, she hasn't even been in the village for years. Why would she-"

"Because Jiraiya refused to do so." The other elder stated, turning to face away from a now fuming Danzō. "I have some other news. Kakashi Hatake, I have a gift for you from the Third Hokage."

Kakashi's eye widened. The elder took a small white letter with the Hokage seal stamped on it. "This is something that he wished for you to have."

The elder threw the envelope at Kakashi who caught it with ease. He moved it around in his hand. There was definitely a letter in there, and something else. A necklace or locket maybe?

"Anyway, let us get down to other business…"

As Kakashi finally took his seat, he blocked out the droning of the elders, his mind ablaze with questions about the envelope. Something about it seemed… different. Out of place. And it troubled Kakashi.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Danzō looking at him madly, his usually emotionless face creased into a thick scowl that would put Sasuke to shame. He was pissed. He wanted what was in this envelope, but Kakashi would be damned if he let the old war hawk snatch this away.

When the meeting finally ended, Kakashi left quicker than anybody else, and proceeded down to a café he knew. When he arrived at one of his favourite haunts, he was soaking wet. Once again the rain was bucketing down and such a pace that not even the Sage of the Six Paths could hope to dodge it. Opening the door and hearing the familiar chime of the bell, Kakashi took in the warming scent of fresh food and hot chocolate.

"Hello Kakashi!" an elderly voice called out.

"Greetings Urusai." Kakashi said as he walked towards the counter, looking at the foods they had available. "Could I have a hot chocolate please?" he asked, and the man nodded.

"Of course you can. My, I remember you when you were just a boy, coming in with your team." Urusai rambled as they both exchanged money and the drink. Kakashi just nodded politely and stepped away from the counter waving a goodbye and going to sit in one of the snug little corners. The café was a picturesque place, with welcoming white walls and nice wooden chairs and tables. Paintings of all sorts adorned the walls, flowers to great Shinobi battles. Kakashi had been happy that his favourite haunt when he was with his team hadn't been damaged. Still, so many pained memories…

But, Kakashi was not going to dwell on such matters as that. Not yet anyway. He lowered his mask and drank down some of the silky hot chocolate. Putting the cup down, he took the letter out of his pocket and just stared at it for a moment in silence. Cautiously, his hands slid over towards a knife that was placed on his table. He slit open the letter, turning it upside down. The contents flew out, with one thing hitting the table with a sharp bang. Kakashi frowned. It was an amulet, just as he had expected. But not just any amulet. This amulet had the mark of the Uchiha.

"Why would the Third give me an Uchiha heirloom? What about Sasuke?" The copy nin questioned. Still, as he turned over the gold pendant in hand and admired the fine craftsman work, he heard the distinctive sound of someone entering the café.

Turning his gaze upwards, he saw a sight which made him sigh.

"So, Gai-sensei, what most youthful things have you been teaching my teammates?"

Gai's booming voice filled the room. "Lee, I have tried to teach them the most youthful ways of pushups, but they do not comply!"

Kakashi sighed once again. Here they were, Might Gai and his faithful sidekick Rock Lee. Maybe if he kept his head down, and stayed out of site…

"Yosh, if it isn't my most youthful rival Kakashi!"

Crap.

As Naruto burst through the trees the first thing that he saw was a pair of white lavender eyes. With a loud oof he barrelled into the Hyŭga and they both fell over with a thud. Rubbing the back of his head gingerly, Naruto stood up. "Hehe, sorry about that Hinata."

The pale faced Hyŭga looked at the floor and blushed. "It-it's okay Naruto," she began. "I'm-I'm not hurt."

"Are you sure Hinata, you took a pretty bad fall?" her friend and teammate Kiba Inuzuka and his faithful hound Akamaru said as they came over. Hinata nodded once again. She was fine, although her arm would bruise. But it was okay, it wasn't Naruto's fault.

Kiba meanwhile, was shooting a glare at Naruto. "Look what you did you idiot, you knocked over Hinata."

"I said I was sorry!" Naruto said crossing his arms angrily.

"It-It's okay Kiba. I thank you for your concern, I really do, but I'm fine."

Kiba shrugged. "Okay, if you say so. Do you wanna continue practicing?"

The Hyŭga shook her head. "No thank you." She said quietly as she glanced at the oblivious blonde staring at the sky. A blush danced across her cheek as Kiba smirked knowingly.

"Come on then Akamaru." The dog nin said to his partner. The white dog yipped happily, nuzzling against his masters side, quickly nuzzling Hinata who patted him on the back and then went to take a leak on Naruto's foot. "Get off me you damn dog!" The blonde yelled as he leapt backwards. Hinata let out a giggle and Kiba was in full hysterics.

"What's so funny?" The question came out of nowhere.

"Nothing Shino," Hinata said through her fit of giggles. The stoic genin appeared on the other side of the clearing, levelling a calculated gaze at Naruto. The blonde shivered. Shino always crept him out. Just the way he would look through you.

"Akamaru-tried-to-take-piss-Naruto's-shoe!" Kiba choked with laughter at the occurrence, clutching his now hurting chest.

Shino remained as stoic as ever, briskly walking forward, still levelling Naruto with that gaze. "Are you all right Hinata?" he questioned to his teammate. The Hyŭga nodded, but winced as she stood up. "Perhaps you should get that checked out?" The bug genin suggested, earning another round of apologies.

Finally, Kiba stopped his laughing fit and stood up, wiping away the tears. "Hehe, anyway Naruto you don't need to apologize. You probably only sprained it or something…"

Another round of apologies.

Hinata scowled at a grinning Kiba momentarily before turning back to the blonde in front of her. "Re-really, I'm fine Naruto."

The blonde nodded, but extended his hand out. "I feel really bad Hinata. Maybe I could buy you lunch sometime to… Hinata? Hinata!"

The Hyŭga had fainted, and Naruto rushed over to her red face and felt her forehead. "Oh god! She has a fever!" he exclaimed. Kiba just sighed deeply, and even Shino had a look of chagrin on his face.

"Is everything alright?"

Kurenai stepped out from the trees, dressed in her usual attire. Her red eyes surveyed the scene, but she just smiled and shook her head when she noticed the petite form of Hinata on the ground and the form of Naruto towering over her.

"Yeah sensei," Kiba began chuckling. "Hinata's just feeling a bit light headed."

Kurenai nodded in understanding, trying to hide a smirk. "Then maybe she should take the rest of this session to cool off. Naruto, would you stay with her and make sure that she's alright?" she asked hopefully.

Naruto saluted. "Don't worry Kurenai-sensei, I won't let you down!"

Kurenai shook her head at the blonde's insanity, before turning to face her two male students. "Kiba, Shino, spar." She ordered. Kiba froze, but before even Kurenai could register it he came back to his usual self.

"Right sensei! Shino, be prepared to get your ass kicked!"

Shino had noticed Kiba tensing up slightly at the mention of sparring with him, and for once this had confused him to no end. "Yes sensei." He said calmly, eyeing Kiba curiously. Said dog nin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, and Shino could have sworn there was a light blush on his cheeks.

Still, the trio walked a ways away from the others and got into their fighting stances.

Shino was still infinitely curious as to why Kiba blushed. It baffled him to no end. "Are you ready?" he asked his teammate. Kiba just looked him up and down. Then he blushed.

"Sure!"

Shino's eyebrows rose high above his hairline. "Was-was he checking me out!" he thought incredously Never; in a million years did he expect Kiba to check him out. It was… bizarre, to say the least. And yet, it did not bother him. How curious.

Kiba was having an inner turmoil with himself. Akamaru had sensed his master's discomfort and had barked reassuringly. The dog nin was fighting his urges. His pack like urges to jump on Shino, rip off his clothes and-

No, he has to stop thinking like this. Kiba shook his head roughly. He shouldn't be feeling like this. Especially not for another guy! Especially not for Shino! His stoic, weird clever intelligent sexy…

Kiba wanted to bash his head against a wall multiple times. He was not gay! He wasn't! He wants to screw girls. He's had numerous dreams about Hinata, Ino and Sakura. But god dammit, ever since The Heat started he's had these dreams about everybody! Asuma-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji, Sasuke and even Rock Lee! He even had one about that exam proctor Ibiki. But the main focus of all his dreams had been Shino. They always consisted with them meeting in circumstances and then screwing! Anywhere and I mean anywhere. Closets, Kitchens, Bathhouses, and even a freaking boat! This was getting out of control.

He mentally cursed The Heat. The Heat was apparently a period of time which occurs between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. This, like puberty, increases the amount of hormones that flow through the body. Times that by 100, and you have The Heat.

"Kiba, shall we begin?" Shino asked pushing the rim of his glasses up his nose. Kiba shakily nodded.

Gulping slightly, Kiba raced forward. With his fist drawn back, he flung it forward. Shino leapt backwards just in time as the blow landed on the hard ground. Shaking the pain off, Kiba flung forward again. Shino was making hand signs, and called out. "Ninja Art: Bug Twister Jutsu!"

Shino's bugs flew from his sleeves and created a twister, spinning straight towards Kiba. Said ninja had been too busy admiring Shino, and yelped as the twister sped towards him. Akamaru bit down on his master's jacket and yanked it to the side. Narrowly avoiding the twister, Kiba began to make hand signs as he landed on the ground. "Ninja Style: Man Beast Clone!"

Akamaru transformed into another Kiba. While Shino was withdrawing his bugs back into his body, Kiba ate and threw a pill into Akamaru's mouth. With an intense spike in chakra, Kiba rushed forward and began to spin along with Akamaru, creating two spiralling vortex's of grey chakra. "Fang over Fang!" the Dog nin called out as he and Akamaru sped forward in synchronisation towards Shino.

However, the bug nin reacted quickly also, creating some more complex hand signs. "Ninja Art: Bug Wall Jutsu!"

The bugs from Shino's body returned, quickly forming a solid wall. Kiba and Akamaru smashed into it, trying to create a hole from which to attack Shino. But the bug fortress proved strong, and this locked the two teammates in a stalemate. With several minutes of gruelling attack and defence, both boys stopped their respective techniques when Kurenai told them to stop.

"Okay, that's enough." She called out. The two boys stopped, both panting heavily. They collapsed to their knees, the sweat pouring off their foreheads. Kiba cast a glance towards Akamaru, who had collapsed on the floor too breathing heavily.

"You did good buddy." He said patting his faithful hound on the back. Scooping him up in his arms and placing him atop his common position on his head, he turned to face Shino. This proved to be a mistake.

The bug nin was now standing, sweat dripping from his forehead. His low breaths made Kiba shiver, and that hunched over position made him want to leap over and-

Shino cast his gaze down, and eyed what he saw curiously. Kiba too looked down. There was a sizable bulge in his pants. Kiba felt like jumping off a cliff.

Hinata awoke on her back, staring up at the grey sky. Slowly rubbing her eyes and raising up, she noted that she had moved from her position before-

"Oh," she squeaked out quietly as realisation dawned on her. She glanced to the side curiously.

"Good, you're awake!" the blonde next to her smiled. She blushed and looked away.

"Nar-Naruto, you didn't have to move me. You should have just shaken me awake-"

"Nah, I couldn't, and you looked like you needed rest from all you're training with Kiba and Shino." Hinata nodded, although her teammates were not all to blame for her tiredness. Her intense training sessions with her father had increased tenfold, and she barely got enough sleep as it was. Still, as embarrassing as it had been too faint right in front of her crush, it was nice to get some sleep. For a short time, anyway.

"Ye-yeah. I've been training with my fat-father."

Naruto nodded, scowling. He knew how the Hyuga elder treated his eldest daughter. With such disgust and disdain it made him want to rip out his cold black heart. Still, Hinata did not seem to mind, but still…

"So, how are things with your father?" he asked curiously. Hinata sighed and shook her head, her dark wavy hair flying around in the breeze.

"Fin-Fine." She stuttered, not meeting his gaze. Then again, when did she ever meet his gaze?

"Uh-huh." Naruto wasn't buying it. He was maybe stupid, but he wasn't blind.

"Yeah…" she trailed off as she turned to look over at her teammates. Kiba was blushing profusely, before he stormed out into the surrounding woods mentioning something about some Inuzuka clan business. Shino looked calculating, and also slightly confused. And Kurenai was trying to hide her sniggers.

Whatever it was that had caused Kiba to run into the woods in embarrassment, Hinata's thoughts were cut off by a loud stomach grumbling.

Naruto laughed sheepishly. "Hehe knew there was something I forgot to do. You wouldn't happen to have any food on ya?"

Hinata nodded, and went to stand up. Naruto's warm and calloused hands pushed her down by the shoulders. "Relax; I'll get it for you. It's in your pack right?"

"Yes, the on-one with the fl-flowers…"

Naruto looked into her lavender eyes for a split second, and felt something. It was a small feeling, and yet it felt so bizarre to Naruto. He had never experienced this feeling. The tingly feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach when he looked into her pale eyes. He had never noticed how pretty they were…

"Right, I'll go get that pack for ya!" Naruto exclaimed rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, running in the opposite direction to grab the Hyuga's pack.

"What was that?" he thought to himself. "I've never felt like that before. That warm feeling felt weird, but also really nice! I don't understand."

While Naruto slung the pack over his shoulder, Hinata was gazing at the ground, her face as red as a tomato. "Wh-What was that" she questioned to herself. The way he held her gaze, so lovingly.

Hinata resisted the urge to faint as the blonde returned, giving a warm albeit awkward smile. "Th-thank you." She muttered to him as he handed her the pack. As he sat down she took out a small lunchbox, and unpacked it.

"Wow!" Naruto exclaimed, the unusual awkwardness forgotten, as he noticed the array of food.

Rolls, donuts, and ramen!

Without asking, the blonde snatched the bowl of cold ramen from the ground and began to fork it in.

Hinata watched with curiosity and slight amusement as he turned to her and gawked. "Wha?" the noise that emanated from Naruto's mouth sounded like. Hinata giggled loudly.

Naruto swallowed his mouthful and grinned sheepishly. "Hehe, sorry. Do you want some?"

Hinata shook her head. "No Th-thank you. I've already eat-eaten."

From a ways away, Kurenai couldn't help but smirk at the budding romances that were blossoming all around her. Her girl's night with Anko would be that much more interesting.

**And that was chapter 2. Hope you enjoyed the meeting, the NaruHina and ShinoKiba moments, and I have a challenge. What do you think the amulets purpose is?**

**Anyway, see ya next time. Review! Zerojackson.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well everybody, I welcome you to the third chapter of the Winds of Change. I apologize for the line break mistake in chapter 2, which has been rectified. For those who dislike Yaoi, do not fear. That is one of many pairings, and easily ignorable.**

**So, this is a long chapter this one, with a rather nice NaruHina moment (In my opinion) and also advances the plot rather considerably. Its over 4000 words! So, enjoy. Thank you Redzone for the review, and also make sure to check my profile for info about other stories I may be working on, and just general information. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Also, I don't own Naruto. Plain and simple. **

Chapter 3: Arrival and Plans

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi wanted to kill himself. As Gai sprouted on about youth and whatnot, his head was still spinning about this amulet. It puzzled him to no end. Still, when Gai addressed him (Which wasn't very often with his ramblings) he smiled politely and nodded, completely missing what the Jōnin had said.

"Yosh! And then while eating my most youthful breakfast; I remembered that I had forgotten to pick up some of my youthful skin care cream. And so, my faithful student, that is why your sensei's skin looks most unyouthful today!" He wailed.

However, his most youthful student was for once not paying attention to his sensei. His mind was adrift in a sea of woe, namely floating around two areas. One, Lee was not able to partake in the defence of Konoha. And this bothered him to no end.

He fell asleep during the battle, and when he awoke he was moved to the civilian evacuation area! And yet his teammates got to train and go on the most youthful exercises, and he was stuck in a hospital, with his arm and leg bandaged. He was useless. The doctors wouldn't let him train, it was torture!

And then came the second problem in Lee's life. Namely his teammate, Tenten.

She was becoming a problem, a major problem. Every single thought that the sixteen year old even considered, she would always be there, smiling. And sometimes doing other things. And this frustrated the young genin to no end. She would never go for a guy like him, with his stupid hair. Although he did not understand why nobody like his tracksuit, it made you a stronger Shinobi. Still, she most obviously preferred Neji over him. She was always spending time with him, by his side. And it made Lee's stomach clench, and his shoulders sag.

"EE-LEE!" Gai called loudly banging his huge fists on the table, causing the owner of the café to shout obscenities at him. Gai ignored him, and gave Lee thumbs up. "Lee, I understand! You wish to borrow some of my youthful skin-care products! Yosh!"

While Gai was very far off what his student was thinking, it still brought a smile to the bowl-cut boy's lips. "Yosh, I would love some Gai-sensei!" he exclaimed proudly.

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!

"Gai-sensei!

"L-"

A mug sailed through the air and smacked against Gai's head, cracking into a million pieces. "Shut up!" The café owner yelled once again, viciously scrubbing his countertop.

Kakashi shook his head. "Oh Gai…"

"Yosh! Kakashi, you may not believe this shocking revelation, but I have an ulterior motive!" Gai exclaimed standing up, leaping on the table and doing his 'Nice Guy' pose. Lee, all his problems forgotten for now, looked up at his sensei with tears in his eyes. "Yosh, Gai-sense is so cool!"

"You see, I know what that thing in your envelope is!" he exclaimed.

Kakashi's eyes widened, although they quickly slanted. "Right."

"Yosh, how can my most youthful rival not believe me! No matter, allow me to explain!"

After another round of unrepeatable words that the café owner threw his way, Gai sat down reluctantly, and leaned forward. Lee too was curious, and he leaned forward intently. Kakashi just crossed his arms and looked at Gai pitifully.

"You see, when the Uchiha were still alive, I was once asked to guard a special amulet that allowed the wearer to locate a certain member of the Uchiha clan. I talked with the keeper of the amulet and he stated that it contained the blood of Itachi Uchiha, and Sasuke Uchiha."

Kakashi was now curious. Even Gai would not lie about such a thing. "Are you sure Gai?" the copy nin questioned. Gai nodded.

"Yes, it is true my most youthful rival. However, when Itachi massacred his clan, the amulet was sealed in the Third's special vault. But now, you have it. Did it come with anything else?"

"I don't think so," Kakashi began as he rifled through the envelope. "Nope nothing… wait, what's this?"

Kakashi noticed a small slit in the envelope. He reached in, and pulled out a note.

"Hmm," he announced, and carefully unwrapped the note. He began to read it out loud.

_Kakashi. If you are reading this, then I have died. If my suspicions are correct, then Orochimaru has tried to take over the village. I of course know that the brave Shinobi with the will of fire have fended him off and whatever evils he has produced._

_Enclosed in this envelope is the Uchiha Heir Blood Amulet. This amulet is a tracking device, namely used as you may have guessed to track the heir of the Uchiha. If I am dead, and the village has been attacked, then you must undertake an S class mission._

_You must track down Itachi Uchiha, and make him return to the village. You will do this by force, if necessary. I presume that if the village has been attacked, and the likelihood of the higher ranking Shinobi helping with the clean-up, you will need to take a few of the lower level ninja with you._

_I recommend the following:_

_Shikamaru Nara_

_Shino Aburame_

_Kiba Inuzuka_

_Any if all from Gai's team_

_Naruto Uzumaki._

_Sasuke may be a choice, but that is up to you to decide._

_And as for the fact he is an S ranked criminal, I have sufficient proof that he was manipulated by Danzō and the other council members to murder the Uchiha clan and flee the village to stop a coup d'état._

_Kakashi's eyes widened, as did Gai's and Lee's. "This is grave news indeed. Itachi Uchiha…" Gai trailed off._

_Kakashi continued reading, highlighting the sufficient proof to prove that Itachi was manipulated by the council. After that, the real letter continued._

_I trust your judgement Kakashi, and I know you will do the right thing. I believe he can help rebuild the village. And, perhaps he can help steer Sasuke away from the dark path that he is soon to follow._

_Kakashi was now certain. The Third Hokage was physic._

_Good luck Kakashi, and remember that the will of fire runs through all of Konoha's inhabitants, and that we will gain strength through each other._

_Hiruzen Sarutobi._

Kakashi mulled over the information silently. "Itachi Uchiha," he thought with a frown. "Would this really help the village?"

"Kakashi."

Said nin snapped his head up, and saw Gai staring at him seriously. He sighed. "Whether this is right or not, Danzō and the council members are in the wrong. They will surely be prosecuted, and hopefully executed. This means that Itachi was wrongly tried. We have duty to get him back to this village."

Kakashi was shocked at Gai's seriousness, but nodded. He was right, Danzō would pay for his crimes and with Itachi back in the village, it's power would significantly increase.

"And what if he doesn't want to come back?" Lee asked. Kakashi had almost forgotten the injured genin was there.

"Then we'll let him leave." Gai said.

"Okay," Kakashi said standing up. "I'm going to gather a team-"

"Yosh! You mean we are going to gather a team my youthful rival!"

Kakashi went to say there was no way on gods earth that Gai would be coming with him, but he couldn't really say otherwise, could he. He was looking for help, and while Gai never shut up, he was a good ninja.

"Yes, I meant us."

"Yosh!" Gai yelled happily leaping up once again on the table and giving Kakashi his nice guy pose. "I shall not let you down, the flames of youth burn strong within us!"

"Yosh, indeed they do sensei, I am most looking forward to getting out and doing youthful things."

Gai and Kakashi froze, and Lee's megawatt smile dropped slightly. "Lee…" Gai trailed off unnaturally quiet. "I do not think it is a good idea for you to come along Lee."

"But-"

"Lee, I am sorry. But Gai is right. You would get injured, and could be killed in your current state."

"But, please! I just want to help. I am sick and tired of sitting back and letting other people do things, I am a Shinobi! And I want to help protect the village at all costs!"

A lamp sailed through the air and connected with Lee's head, sending him backwards with a crash. "Shut up!" Urusai yelled angrily for the umpteenth time. Lee rubbed his head gingerly as Gai and Kakashi exchanged a silent conversation.

"Very… well," Kakashi sighed reluctantly. "You can come."

"YOSH!"

Sakura calmly walked down the forest path, content. Well, content on the outside anyway. On the inside, well, that was a completely different story. She was worried. Worried about Sasuke, Lee, everybody.

Especially her mother. She sighed as she remembered the news the doctors had given her, about how her mother was crushed by some fallen debris. She lost the twins. They both cried for three days straight.

Still, she was out here looking for Naruto, and should focus on finding his chakra signature.

Scanning around the area, she could not find hide nor hair of the blonde boy or Sasuke. "Naruto," she gritted, slowly increasing her speed. The stupid blonde just had to be so hard to find, didn't he? He could be loud and obnoxious as anybody, but oh no, when he goes training he disappears of the face of the earth!

Still, Sakura shook her head sadly. She shouldn't be taking her anger out on Naruto.

When she had met up with team 7 and told them that her mother had lost the twins, there were mixed reactions. Kakashi remained stoic, his eyes holding pity. Naruto's mouth and opened and closed like a fish, before he looked at the ground sadly and muttered his condolences. And Sasuke, well, even he looked saddened. He said sorry. Sorry. That was the only word he had said to her in one week. Sorry!

Sakura picked up the pace once again, her feet stomping angrily against the dirt. The forest was quiet, and while the sun was close to setting, it still lit the horizon slightly. However, the field of vision towards the sky was blocked by a thick hue of grey clouds. The only indication that the sun was setting was the gradual darkening of the area. Sakura knew she would give up her search and go home soon. It was dark, and she hated the dark.

It seemed irrational, that she would be afraid of the dark. The shadows were a ninja's weapon, and yet here she was starting to get paranoid. Best Shinobi ever.

After ten more minutes of sighing, angry stomping, and just general frustration, Sakura turned around in a huff and stomped back the other way in a huff. "Stupid Naruto, stupid Sasuke…" she trailed off as she realised what she said. She just called Sasuke stupid. The boy she has had a crush on for most of her life, and she called him stupid. Jesus, she was really screwed up. But, Sakura was at the end of her rope. She was sick and tired of him always ignoring her; they were on the same team for god's sake! He had inadvertently broken up her relationship with her best friend, and he still didn't acknowledge her. She had wanted to confront him about it, demand to know why he couldn't say more than two words to her. But, she hadn't. Everyone had been so broken up about the Hokage's death; it would have been downright tactless to engage in a fight. But she would do soon. And then she would get stronger and show the world (Especially her teammates) that she could stand up there with the best of them and be regarded as a strong kunochi.

And if only she would have been more observant. Perhaps she may have noticed the slight rustling in the bushes, or the fact that every so often a shadow danced across the treetops, watching her every move. If only. As Sakura neared the exit to the forest, she sighed happily. She could see the lights of Konoha, and that filled her with slight warmth.

Then a chill ran up her spine, as she felt a warm breath on the back of her neck. She swung around, and was met with darkness. She shook her head at her paranoia, and turned back around to see the bright lights of Konoha. They weren't there.

Panic shot through her, there was nothing. It was just black. She looked down at her hands. Nothing. She couldn't see anything.

"Hello?" she whimpered, hoping it was Sasuke playing some cruel joke. A shrill laugh rumbled from somewhere. "Sasuke, come out here!" she called out in fear.

"I'm afraid your boyfriend is not here. Not yet anyway."

The voice was unfamiliar, but it was gruffly high, like someone was just recovering from a coughing fit.

Then, she felt it. A prick on the back of her neck. She reached for where she thought her kunai pouch was and grasped at it. Her hand was caught, and roughly pulled behind her.

She felt some heavy breathing on the back of her neck, and she shivered as she felt someone's mouth touch her ear.

"Sleep well."

"So, where are we going?" The question was a simple enough one, and shouldn't annoy anyone. Unless it has been asked twenty times in the past five minutes.

Shino let out an inaudible sigh. "Naruto, we are heading to complete a mission."

"Yes, but where!"

"Were you paying attention to Kurenai-sensei?" Kiba asked irritably. Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "We've been asked to babysit for an important builder who is helping to rebuild the walls of the village."

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed. As Kiba had said, Naruto, Shino, Hinata and himself were all going to babysit for an important builder.

Hinata was standing shyly towards the back, tapping her fingers together nervously. This would be the first time she had ever been on a mission with her crush, and it was affecting her.

"Yo Hinata, you okay? You're looking a little red."

Hinata stiffened. "N-no Naruto, I am fi-fine."

Naruto nodded contently, turning back around to argue with Kiba over his attention span. Shino was walking wordlessly ahead, barely acknowledging what the two loudmouths behind him were arguing about. No, he was too busy trying to figure out why Kiba checking him out back at the training fields hadn't bothered him. And he could not come up with an answer. And this was extremely frustrating. After Kiba had run off, the day progressed with some more training and small chat, until the sun had started to set. After that, the group had proceeded back towards the village. However, they were intercepted by Kiba. The dog nin had come with a message for Kurenai. It was a mission from a friend of hers, and she had sent team eight, along with Naruto, to complete that mission.

"Wait a second, if we're babysitting, does that mean we'll be looking after babies?"

Shino audibly sighed, but didn't respond.

"Woah! Really, babysitting babies? Who would have guessed?" Kiba hissed, squaring his shoulders. Naruto squared up to him, their eyes locked, ready to fight.

"Pl-please guys don-don't fight." Hinata tried to reason with them. It didn't work as Kiba lunged on Naruto, knocking him to the ground. The duo rolled around on the floor, embroiled in a wrestling match. Hinata looked towards Shino for aid, and the bug user just shook his head. "Will you two come on and stop acting like babies."

"Who pops out six babies?" Kiba yelled incredously as he kept one baby on the crook of his arm and another on the crook of his other arm.

When the group had gotten to the home of the builder (having pulled Naruto and Kiba away from each other) they were unpleasantly shocked to discover not one, not two, but six babies!

Shino, Kiba and Naruto were not baby people. But, here they were, trying to calm down five screaming midgets. The sixth one was being rocked and cooed at by Hinata, who was perfectly happy and content looking after babies. "Hinata, how do you work this thing?" Naruto yelled as he tapped the baby he was holding on the back.

"Na-Naruto, you should put the baby on your shoulder, so he do-does not throw-"

Too late.

"Ahh!" Naruto yelled loudly as baby bile erupted over his shoulder. Kiba had burst into hysterics, almost dropping his two babies in the process.

Naruto growled at Kiba, before walking over to Hinata and dumping the baby on her knee. "Could you look after him while I get cleaned up?" he asked. She nodded, and he left the room mumbling about evil midgets.

While all this was going on, Shino was having a rather bizarre interaction with one of the babies. The other one he was meant to look after was sound asleep, and he was stuck in a staring contest with the other one. Shino looked at the baby curiously. The baby looked at Shino curiously. She wiggled and wobbled on the table, but her eyes were still firmly fixed on Shino's dark glasses.

"Hello." Shino said. The baby looked at him, before muttering.

"Goo."

Shino nodded. "Yes, it has been rainy today."

"Gaa-ga goo!"

"Well, yes, I suppose."

"Gaaa! Goo-go-gaga-goo!"

"That, I must disagree with."

Kiba was staring at Shino, his jaw agape. He turned to Hinata, and opened and closed his mouth like a fish. She too was mildly curious, and her eyes were widened like saucers as she gently rocked the two now quiet babies in her arms.

"Gaaa!"

"Well-"

"Goo-ga-gaga!"

"That is logical, I suppose-"

"Gagagagga-gooo!"

"Are you mocking me?"

Kiba burst into hysterics, and even Hinata giggled softly.

Naruto at this point returned with a clean face, and looked too the side to see Kiba laughing, Hinata giggling and Shino looking quite annoyed.

"Did I miss something?"

Finally, after much stress, sweat and internal tears, team eight and Naruto had finally gotten all the babies to sleep. And they were now in the middle of Kiba and Naruto trying to wrap their heads around Shino's 'argument' with a baby!

"So, what were you even arguing about?" Kiba asked astonished. Shino shrugged.

"We were discussing the differential tastes of breast milk and bottled milk."

…

"What!" Naruto yelled loudly, flinging his arms up into the air. Kiba bonked him on the head, but swivelled his head around to meet Shino's with a piercing gaze.

"You're joking, right?"

Shino merely adjusted his glasses.

"Anyway," Hinata chimed in, turning her gaze upwards to the now clear night sky. "It-it's a beautiful night."

The three genin looked up, and they all smiled softly. The stars were shining brightly, illumining the dark sky. "It is nice," Naruto said. The others merely nodded in agreement.

They stayed in the silence for a while, just taking in the clear and cool air.

"What time are the brat's parents' home?" Kiba asked finally. Hinata, while a bit annoyed that he referred to the babies as 'brats', decided to answer.

"About 11."

"Good, only half an hour left."

"Yeah," Naruto said stretching his arms and yawning. His hand however landed on Hinata's shoulder. They both froze. Kiba noticed there interaction, and smirked.

"Really Naruto, that's the oldest trick in the book!"

"I-I wasn't- I didn't-"he stuttered, his face turning a deep shade of red. "So-sorry Hinata." He said quietly, taking his hand off of her shoulder. She was blushing bright scarlet, her vision downcast.

"It-it's alright Naruto." She murmured, before standing up quickly. "I'm go-going for a walk-"she announced, before walking forwards briskly.

Naruto sighed. Great, now she thought he was making a move on her, and now thought he was a pervert. And he wasn't, and he didn't mean for his hand to land on her shoulder. "Yes you did," a voice called from the back of his head, which distinctly sounded like Jiraya. He shook his head, standing. "I'm going to apologize again."

Kiba and Shino didn't acknowledge him, so he walked off to follow Hinata. This left the two other members of team 8 in an awkward position. "God, Naruto really is blind isn't he?" Kiba said unsurely, as he watched for Shino's reaction. The bug nin nodded in response and that was about it.

"So, uh…"

"Why were you examining my body?"

Kiba blushed. Only Shino and his bluntness could make him blush, the ass. "I-I wasn't checking you out." He tried to fruitlessly to defend himself. Great, now he was stuttering. The next thing you know, he would start to fidget with his hands like Hinata does.

"No, I said you were examining my body. I never implied that you were checking me out, I merely asked why you were examining me."

"Well…" the dog nin trailed off as Akamaru came up to his side, yipping affectionately. "How are the brat's boy?" he asked, desperate to steer the conversation away from the current topic. Akamaru barked, and Kiba nodded. "Good, go and watch them for a little longer and report back." The white dog did as complied, receiving a stroke from his master, before bouncing off happily.

"You have still not answered my question."

Kiba sighed. "Look Shino. I-I was just 'examining' you to make sure that you weren't injured by my fang over fang." He smiled. "Please buy that, please-"

"I do not believe you." Kiba's face flushed. "However, I will not press you on a matter that you do not wish to discuss. Now, I believe soon we will be leaving this establishment. I will go and wait inside with the babies." And with that, he got up and walked away. And yet Kiba somehow knew that Shino was annoyed with him. And it tore him up inside.

Hinata hadn't walked far. The house was still within very much viewing distance, and the Hyŭga heir was surprised by the length of the garden. It was so large, it's a shame she didn't get to explore it, but of course the babies were her top priority. She sat down on a bench that was overlooking quite a large pond. These builders really were rich.

Hinata sighed. Great, now she had made Naruto upset. He obviously didn't like her like that, and never wou-

"Hey, Hinata!"

Hinata shut her eyes tightly. For the first time in her life, she hoped it wasn't him. But it was.

Naruto sat down next to her hesitantly. He was scared; he had obviously upset her in some way. God, he screwed everything up! Could he not go one minute without screwing up?

He sighed, and opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. It was no use. What was the point? He would screw up again and again, and be back in this position.

As they sat together in an awkward silence, Naruto gazed at the sky, and as Hinata's eyes were boring into the ground, a memory crossed the blondes mind.

"When I was twelve," Naruto began, his eyes shifting slightly into ones of sadness instead of awkwardness. Hinata turned her head to the side slowly. "I remember this one time Iruka-sensei was really mad at me for dropping a stink bomb at a council meeting." He smiled softly at the memory, but his eyes still portrayed a deep sense of sadness. "I've never seen him so mad before. He just yelled and yelled and told me to get out immediately. He scared me, and he had never done that before. I thought…" he trailed off slightly, his mouth forming a thin line. "I thought he hated me. So, I packed my stuff, and decided to run away. I just didn't care. Nobody treated me with respect, or even liked me. I had nothing left to stay there for. So I ran out of the village, dodging the ninja they sent after me, until I reached a stream." Naruto stopped, his face turning deeply pained. "A tiger was waiting." He shut his eyes tightly. "It attacked me."

Hinata gasped softly. Tiger attacks, even against ninja, were often fatal. And yet here he was. Naruto was luckier than most thought.

"The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital, hooked up to loads of machines. And Iruka was there. He apologized, and said he didn't mean to make me so upset. He was deeply sorry…" Naruto trailed off as he finished the story. Hinata was now fully facing the blonde, and she smiled softly. Before she could apologize for making him feel uncomfortable, he said. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Hinata blinked.

"Wh-what?" she asked, assuming she misheard him.

He cleared his throat again. "I said I was sorry for making you uncomfortable."

"We-well I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable."

Naruto's eyebrows rose. "Sorry? Sorry for what?" he asked incredously. Before Hinata could respond, he continued. "I was the one who put my hand on your shoulder, not you. It's my fault I made you feel uncomfortable."

"N-no," she argued. "I was the one who s-sat to close to you. I sho-should have moved."

"That's a stupid excuse." Naruto declared after a few moments, turning his head upwards. "I did something wrong, not you Hinata."

"Ye-yes, but-"

"Hinata."

The electric signal from was sent before the blonde could react, and he reached out for her pale cheek. Hinata gasped at the contact with Naruto's warm and rough hand against her soft cold skin. She flushed brightly, but couldn't look away. His bright blue eyes shined with confusion.

"Oh crap!" he thought quickly, his eyes widening. What had he done? Naruto let out a stream of curses inside his own head at his stupidity. He really couldn't do anything right could he? Slowly, Naruto retracted his hand from her soft cheek, albeit grudgingly. She had really soft skin, like the snow when he visited the Snow Country. Only this was much better.

"Hin-Hinata, I'm so-"

Suddenly, Hinata's blush disappeared and she leapt forward, pushing Naruto back roughly. They both landed with a loud oof on the ground, the Hyuga on top of the blonde nin. "Wha-"Naruto choked out, his first instinct was to pull her closer, that she was making a move on him. And he didn't mind at all.

Before he could say anything more, he noticed a barrage of shuriken fly over the spot where the two genin had been sitting. His eyes widened in realisation. On top of him, Hinata gasped. She stood up shakily, and Naruto noticed the shuriken embedded deep in Hinata's arm.

"Shame, I was hoping I would be able to kill you quickly and take the blonde brat with me. Ah well, the pink bitch didn't put up much of a fight." A voice rang out from the darkness.

Hinata whirled around, activating her Byakugan. Her lavender eyes grew whiter and the veins around her eyes bulged. She got into her jyuuken stance shakily, her eyes betraying her sense of fear. "Kiba, Shino." She called out weakly, as her assailant showed himself.

The man walked out onto the pond lazily, yawning as he ran his hand through his black hair. From what Hinata could make out, he was wearing a dark brown flak vest, and standard Shinobi attire for lightning ninja. All the common items were there, from the dark brown arm warmers, to the sandals, to the brown tight fitting Shinobi trousers. The main indicator that he was from the village, however, was the lightning ninja headband with a line through the symbol of the village that was strapped to his right arm. However, his most striking feature was the black blindfold that blocked his eyes from view. It was like a void, and that if you stared into it to long it would suck you in and never let you out.

"Oh well girly," he said cracking his knuckles. "You're in for a world of hurt."

**The plot thickens! Hope you enjoyed. Also, chapters will take a slower pace. I will upload maybe every 2-3 days, so yeah. Anyway, see you next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright guys, welcome to chapter 4 of The Winds of Change. This was not meant to come out today, but I got my first review apart from RedzoneJoe, who's NaruHina story Clash of the Kunai you must check out. I would like to thank** **Aimii0 for the review. Without her, this chapter would have been out in a few days. This chapter is entirely based on my ocs, who you will hopefully get to know an love. Also, look for the community 'The Naruto Rookie Writing Genin... Of Doom.' Spelt exactly like that. It is a community that we started up today for inexperienced writers to hang out and discuss our works. Pm me or RedzoneJoe, and we'll take a look at your stories. They must be good! So, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. No witty one liner here!**

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Chapter Four: The Waterfall Training Routine.

A few hours before…

Quite a few miles away from Konoha, but still within its borders, was a waterfall. It was rather big, with huge volumes of water crashing down below into a small body of water. On the banks the trees and grass were fertile, and the flowers bloomed gloriously. Sat on the grass, relaxing in this usually deserted spot was a boy. He had spiky brown hair that was cut quite short, and dark brown eyes. He was lightly tanned, a thin brown hue covering most of his body. Around him, the sounds of training went on. He stood up, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. His attire was simple, a light brown Shinobi vest, hardened with leather. His trousers were also of the typical Shinobi, and there colour was black. He wore simple Shinobi black combat boots, but he was not wearing them now, choosing to feel the cool blades of grass against his toes.

He ran a hand through his brown hair, and smiled brightly. He was eager, ready to commence training. Although, it was a rather nice day for sleeping and getting a tan, the boy decided that he would rather practice. His name was Raion, and he was fifteen.

While the sun was baking hot, and he would surely tire quickly, Raion decided it would be best to run laps. He got into his starting position, and sprinted. He loved that feeling. The feeling of adrenaline, the feeling of the wind in your hair, blocking out all other sounds. He loved that sort of thing.

"Slow down Raion, you'll mess up my paintings."

Raion slowly reduced his speed as he came up towards his friend. A boy was sitting in the shade of a tree, biting his tongue in intense concentration. He had grey hair that was pulled neatly into a pony-tail. His eyes were also greyish; they didn't necessarily have a colour, obscured by a pair of grey glasses. They were just blank, that was the best way to describe them. Blank.

He wore a black shirt, with a grey flak vest over it, along with grey Shinobi trousers and black Shinobi boots.

"Sorry Gurei," Raion apologized catching his breath. 'Gurei' didn't reply, he just continued working on his project. Raion, while not very artistic, had to marvel at his friend's skill with a brush and paint. It was like watching a graceful ballet performance, every stroke of the brush heralded the creation of a masterpiece.

"'Whatcha working on?" The dark skinned boy questioned after a moment. Gurei sighed, carefully putting his brush down and turning to face Raion with a blank expression.

"Raion, with all due respect, could you please go?"

Raion pouted mockingly. "Why!" he whined. Gurei didn't even flinch at the joke, and Raion released the pout into the expression he normally wore. A cheeky grin.

"Because I am working." he turned back to his painting, picking up the paintbrush and beginning those masterful strokes once more.

"Please tell me what you're working on, please?" Raion asked hopefully. Gurei sighed.

"I am currently working on a piece of art that involves wolves-"

"Wow, I love wolves!"

Gurei gave Raion a cold hard stare, and he put his hands up in surrender. "Okay okay, I'm leaving. See you later!"

Gurei just shook his head.

Raion strolled away from his friend, his daily quota for annoying people almost met. Almost. As he continued to walk across the edge of the forest that bordered the body of water, Raion realised that he had not seen his other male teammate much today. As he walked for a bit longer, he heard the distinctive sound of training.

A girl was training in the sun, dark chakra slowly forming around her frame. She was rather tall, 2 inches taller than Raion. She had dark black hair that flowed to her shoulders, and as she opened her eyes to gaze at Raion, she smirked softly, the chocolate pools of brown filling with mischief.

Raion, wise to this girl's ways, stopped walking. He started to back away slowly.

"Raion, come here." The girl said, gesturing with her finger. As she stopped gathering chakra, her figure was revealed. She had dark skin, like someone who had lived in the desert. And she was shapely, really shapely. She was the perfect seductress, an exotic beauty. And yet, she would kill you rather than kiss you. And she has kissed a lot of people. To call her beautiful would be like calling a starving lion sweet. Beautiful was used to describe a woman, and Kura was not a woman. In short, she was the most dangerous thing next to death itself. She was too cunning, too mischievous, and, she could get into your pants better than she could breathe. That was her specialty, in any case.

Raion himself was a simple fellow. He wasn't the brightest, but he had street smarts. He was well built for a fifteen year old, with muscles that would make most teenage boys cry in shame. That was Raion's specialty, in any case. 'Heavy lifting' as he liked to call it.

They were both different, one preferred seduction and espionage, the other brute strength and raw energy. Maybe that was why the hated and liked each other all at the same time.

"No. last time you gave me that look, I was roped into taking beating because you slept with that man's wife!"

Kura snickered. "What could I say? Nobody would want this face to be ruined?" she pouted. Raion shook his head, although a smile was tugging at his lips.

"What do you want?"

"Simple, I want you to deliver a message for me."

Raion's eyes widened, but then narrowed into slits. Yeah, like he was going to believe that. "That's it? No strings attached?"

Kura nodded. "Yep, all I want you to do is go into the cave and tell Kataki that sensei has gone left for a few hours to take care of some business, and that he was in charge."

Raion growled. "How come he gets to be in charge?" he mumbled to himself. Kura laughed, flipping her dark hair back behind her shoulder.

"Oh Raion," she laughed shaking her head. She strode over to him in a few seconds. "Aww, is my wittle Raion so sad!" she said grabbing the dark skinned boy's cheek and squeezing it teasingly. Raion scowled at her, and she laughed.

"Anyway, go away. You smell like wet dog."

"Hey!"

"It's the truth, go bathe somewhere far away so I don't need to see you and your scrawny junk."

"I don't need- Hey, my junk is not scrawny!"

Kura threw her head back and laughed again. "Yes Raion, it really is. Now go away."

Raion rolled his eyes. Nobody seemed to like him today, although that was nothing new to Kura. And a thought occurred to the brown haired boy as Kura walked into the surrounding forest, clutching her nose.

Raion smiled, before running over to the edge of the body of water. "Hey, Tali!"

A blonde girl, no older than fourteen, stopped her training and turned to see who had shouted at her. She smiled when she saw Raion.

"Hey Raion!" she yelled, happy to see her friend.

Tali was blonde, and quite pale. Not nearly as pale as Gurei, but still pretty pale. And her light blue eyes highlighted her creamy skin and light blonde hair. For a fourteen year old girl, she was quite well endowed, with soft milky skin and a toned body. Currently, she was practicing on the lake, perfecting her special chakra control exercises that involved a mixture of dancing and physical exercise like punches and kicks.

She was wearing a low cut blue top and a pair of shorts that fell just above the top of her thigh.

She strolled over casually, a bright beaming smile permanently etched on his face. "Hello Raion, how are you." She inquired as she gave her friend a hug. This was another common trait when it came to Tali. Hugs, lots and lots of hugs.

"I'm good, apart from the fact nobody's really nice to me."

"Well, you do smell like a manure factory," Tali giggled. Raion rolled his eyes.

"I don't smell, people just have really sensitive noses." It was Tali's turn to roll her eyes.

As Tali was about to say something else, Raion's stomach grumbled loudly. He grinned sheepishly. "Wanna come and have lunch?"

Tali nodded. "Okay, but you need to go and talk to Kataki first. Give him the message."

"You too!" Raion yelled incredously. Tali put her hands up in defence.

"Hey, you're the one with the job to do. Go deliver the message, and see if he wants to have lunch."

Raion sighed, but nodded. Tali beamed. "Yay, you see if you follow orders then you don't annoy people, apart from the smell of course."

Another mumbling of 'I don't smell,' escaped Raion's lips, and he grudgingly made his way over the body of water, ready to talk to his… friend.

Behind the waterfall that tumbled down drowning out most of the sound in the immediate vicinity, was a cave. In this cave was a spring. This spring illuminated the cold stone walls with wavy patterns, turning the drab cave into a work of natural wondrous art. On one of the many rocks that littered the medium sized cave, sat a boy. He was sixteen, with dark red hair that was medium length. His eyes were closed, an intense look of concentration etched on his face. The only sound that he could hear was the dripping of water, and the slowly steady drum of the waterfall outside. Sitting topless, wearing only a pair of trousers, stuck on a cold rock in a cold area would have sent most people insane after a while. But not Kataki.

No, he was perfectly content sat on his rock, meditating for a moment before getting back to his kenjutsu (Sword-play).

And he was content, until he heard the complaints from one of his teammates. Raion scrambled through the waterfall completely soaked from head to toe. He panted heavily. "You-couldn't-pick-easier-area-to-get-too?" he asked through breaths. Kataki didn't respond, just sat deathly still.

"You know, it helps if you take your clothes off before you come through the gushing water. Who knew?"

Raion growled, but inside he was kicking himself. Why hadn't he thought of that?

"Are you here for a personally visit?" Kataki said standing upwards, opening his chocolate brown eyes. Raion snorted.

"You wish. Kura wanted me to deliver you a message-"

"That I'm to be in charge until sensei gets back. Yeah, I know."

Raion froze. The room fell silent. "She didn't tell you that sensei had already visited me, did she?"

Raion shook his head, shaking with rage. Silently, Kataki counted down inside his head. "5,4,3,2,1…"

"Kura!"

Tali heard the screams and stifled a giggle. Oh, this would be interesting.

Raion leapt out of the waterfall, landing on the surface of the water. Tali smiled happily.

"Raion," she pretended to be oblivious. "What's wrong?"

"Kura lied!" he snarled. "And now I'm all wet!"

"Oh no!" Tali yelled louder than necessary to hide her snort. "Why, what did she lie about?"

"Kataki said that she already delivered the message." He gave an annoyed huff. "And now I'm going to rip her head off!"

He stomped as much as he could on the surface of the water, splashes of the liquid flew up and hit Tali in the face. She giggled. "Sorry Raion."

He grumbled a reply as he walked towards the water's edge. Then he tensed. He whirled around, pointing an accusing finger in Tali's direction. "Hang on a minute. You said that Kura told you about her message, so why didn't you warn me?"

Tali rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as Raion sauntered closer.

"Well, I-I've got to… you know, uh… bye!" and she fell into the water.

"Oh no you don't!" Raion snarled as he jumped forward, landing headfirst in the water with a splosh.

He looked around the underwater atmosphere, looking for the blonde girl who screwed him over. He twisted around quickly as he felt a hand brush against his back. "Raion," Tali whispered in his ear. He snapped around to try and punch her, but she was gone. "You shouldn't have come into my terrain."

With an almighty whoosh, a stream of water speared Raion in the chest and sent him high into the air. He landed with a thud on the bank, soaked even more than he was. As he panted hard, the pain in his chest rising, a figure stepped over his view of the sky.

Kura smiled maliciously. Raion growled. "You liar!" he tried to rise upwards, but found he was trapped in place. He struggled against his invisible binds as Kura laughed.

"Oh Raion," she began as she clutched her chest. "As gullible as always."

Raion didn't reply, just frowned deeply.

"I see you've perfected the Shadow Bind technique."

Kura nodded. "I have, and it's really useful, wouldn't you-"

"Kura, stop."

Kataki stood a few feet away, his arms crossed and a look of annoyance on his face. Kura smiled brightly.

"Kataki! Have you finally given into my seductive techniques?" she said wiggling her eyebrows. Raion snorted and Kataki kept his face perfectly impassive.

"No. Would you stop tormenting Raion verbally?"

Kura nodded, and smiled once again maliciously. "And physically."

The dark haired teen pouted, but relented with a sigh, releasing Raion from his binds. The brown haired boy rubbed his wrists and shot a glare in Kura's direction. She just beamed, content that she had managed to meet her daily quota of annoying Raion with her antics. Now, time for the hapless flirting with Kataki. She glided over to his side and put her arm round his shoulders. "So, how about we go somewhere private." She purred into his ear. Kataki smirked.

"While I'm sure that would be an experience I would never forget, I will have to pass."

"Aww, are you sure, I could make you feel really, really good."

Kataki shook his head. Kura pouted slightly, before she moved like lightning and pecked him on the cheek. "I will get you one day." And she skipped off.

Kataki smiled, rubbing the spot where she had kissed him and shaking his head. While it was inappropriate, he did rather enjoy the hapless flirting that he and Kura shared. It was a part of their friendship, just as Raion argued with her constantly. It was natural.

"So, someone mentioned something about lunch." Tali reappeared, rising upwards from the water. She had witnessed the whole interaction between Kataki and Kura, and she frowned unhappily.

Kataki smiled, and went to say something-

A loud smack echoed across the body of water. Tali turned just in time to see a huge wave of water crash into her, Kataki and Raion. The trio skidded backwards, the wave of water sending them into objects like trees and rocks.

When the water drained away, Raion was standing upwards, rubbing the back of his head. When the fuzziness cleared, he noticed a figure standing on what was left of the body of water.

She had long green hair that fell down to her waist. She wore a cloak with a high collar that obscured the lower part of the girls face. It was patterned with red clouds, which looked menacing against the black backdrop of the cloak. She wore brown sandals on her feet, but her most striking feature was a giant sword that she wielded with only one hand. The length of the blade was at least seven feet long, a plethora of golden designs on the blade and a black handle.

Raion recognised the cloak, and growled. "Akatsuki."

The girl laughed. "Well, it seems you've done your homework." She held the sword at her side, ready to engage.

"What do you want?" Kataki's cold voice came from behind Raion. The girl shrugged.

"I want to play."

"Water Style: Water Whip Jutsu!"

A whip of water formed behind where the green haired girl was standing, and slammed down hard causing a colossal splash.

Tali appeared from behind a tree, but that was her mistake. Like a blur, the female Akatsuki member charged forward, appearing in front of Tali in a split second. As the female went to grab Tali's throat, something long and white wrapped around her arm and yanked it backwards.

There was a hiss, as Gurei and a large snake appeared from behind a tree, the snake's tail holding the females arm in a vice grip. She growled as Gurei's hands turned green. He rushed forward, withdrawing his fist back to strike the woman down. However, the girl blocked his strike with her blade. She went to lop off his head, but he ducked and tried for another jab. This time it connected, but the woman turned into a puddle of water.

Gurei cursed. It was a water clone.

"Well well, Chakra scalpels? I guess I found the medic of the team."

The woman was now on the water again, smirking proudly. She had to react quickly as Kataki came forward, dual katana's in hand. The duo exchanged blows and jabs with their respective blades, neither of them getting a decisive hit. Eventually Raion joined the fray, his hands pulsing with orange chakra as he engaged with the woman also. His blows caused water to spray upwards, causing most of the battle to be obscured from Tali and Gurei.

Said ninja noticed that his blonde teammate had a gash on the back of her head. "Here, let me heal that." He said as she tried to run off and join the battle. She nodded grudgingly.

"Hurry up."

He nodded, and began to get to work immediately. "This should only take-"

"Wind Style: Razor Blast Jutsu!"

A sharp gust of wind uprooted trees as it sliced into Gurei and Tali. Out of the duo, the blonde girl took the most amount of damage. She cried out in pain as a multitude of deep cuts and bruises littered her arms, legs and face. She flew across the body of water, landing with a sickening splash as she entered the water. Gurei didn't receive nearly as much damage, but did sustain a deep gash on his arm as he was sent backwards.

A man, also with long green hair stepped out of the now uprooted forest, wearing the same attire as the woman, a black cloak with red clouds on it and a pair of brown sandals. He smirked. Luckily he took down the dark haired girl silently, hopefully she was still unconscious.

He surveyed the area, noticing with a smile the battered and presumably unconscious body of Tali, and the body of the medic, lying on the surface of the water with a deep gash running down his arm.

Content that the woman was doing alright with the two brats, he bit down on his thumb until it bled, and thrust it down into the earth. A circle of different kanji (Japanese Letters) appeared, and he yelled out "Summoning Jutsu!"

A large brown hawk appeared in a puff of smoke, letting out a caw of surprise. The man leapt on the hawk's back, and it took off. "Eliara, it's time to go!" the man called out.

As the female Akatsuki member heard her partner, she smiled. Ducking one more of Raion's strikes and delivering a fierce blow to the gut, she made hand signs quickly. "Water Style: Water Shark Jutsu!"

Ten splashes of water later and ten sharks comprised entirely of water leapt out of the lake and into the air. "Bye boys," she said as she leapt backwards. The sharks growled and sped downwards. "God dammit!" Raion roared as he avoided one of them.

Meanwhile, the male Akatsuki member and his hawk had moved close to the water's surface, moving at fast speeds. If you blinked you would have missed the man scooping up Tali in his arms. The bird gave a caw of victory and turned back. Eliara leapt high into the air, doing a backflip. She landed on the hawk. It once again switched directions, speeding off over the waterfall.

"No!" Kataki howled as he made some hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A stream of fire chased down the bird, but Kataki's Jutsu only reached a certain length, and fizzled out quickly as the bird sped off. Raion struck down the last water shark, and it burst into water.

"Tali!" he called out.

Kataki couldn't move. He had failed, failed to protect on of his friends, the person who he thought of as a little sister. He had failed.

"We need to go after them!" Raion snarled as he helped the injured Gurei up.

"I agree." A voice called from a nearby tree.

Kataki turned a deep look of remorse and despair on his features. "Sensei, i-"

"No." Kataki's sensei said raising his hand. He had long black hair tied into a low ponytail that ran down his back. His eyes were a coal black, and he held himself with an unnatural cold atmosphere. He wore a black flak jacket, black trousers and black combat boots. Around his neck was an amulet, one that represented a paticular clan. The Uchiha.

**So, who was your favourite Oc and why? As I have said, but I mean it this time, updates will frequent between 2-5 days. The next chapter will mos likely be published in 3-4 days, as it is I believe a 6000 word chapter! Thanks for the reviews in advance. See ya for chapter 5!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so I said I wasn't going to upload another chapter for a couple of days, but I relented. I have a huge maths test on Tuesday and a huge English test on Thursday, so you won't get updates for a few days. So here's Chapter 5 of the Winds of Change. This whole chapter is one battle, so I apologize if my writing style with battles annoys you. Anyway, thank you for the reviews in advance, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I do own my Oc's and plot. And the world. Seriously, watch the news, I just took over. See ya for the coronation of your new Lord Majestic Emperor King!**

Chapter 5: Preying on the Leaves.

Hinata shivered. Here she was, face to face with an enemy ninja, with Naruto. Said blonde genin growled. "What do you want!"

The man laughed. "Why, I want you Naruto. I want you." Naruto blanched slightly.

"Wha!" he asked incredously. The ninja smirked.

"Well, I'm a bit disappointed. I knew the pink girl was weak, but you need a female to save you? Pathetic really."

The blonde nin watched as Hinata visibly flinched. The man smirked once again, turning his 'gaze' towards the Hyŭga heiress. "And you. I have heard much of you. The pathetic eldest daughter of a weak clan, whose sister can even beat her."

Hinata's mouth fell open, how did he-

"Stop!" Naruto yelled, rushing forward with his fist drawn back. As he sprinted, the mysterious nin on the surface of the water kept his face pretty impassive. A few feet away from the nin, Naruto leapt upwards, and came falling back down. As he went to land his fist, the nin reached upwards and grabbed his wrist, with one hand, and with the other thrust his hand upwards, Naruto felt the air leave his lungs. The nin withdrew his hand and thrust it upwards again. The blonde let out a cry of pain as he fell into the air and landed with a splash into the water.

"Naruto!" Hinata called out weakly. The nin turned his gaze to her.

"While you may be pathetic, I think I shall let you know my name. I'm Joukei."

'Joukei' slowly sauntered forward, and Hinata recoiled slightly.

Joukei chuckled, before racing forward, a kunai now in hand. Hinata gasped, and shakily raised a kunai of her own to block the attack. But she didn't have too.

Four Naruto's erupted from the water, one behind, two to the sides, and one in front of Joukei. The Naruto in front twisted around and went for a spin kick. His foot was grabbed however, and he was thrown backwards into the oncoming Naruto towards the back. They collided and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The two Naruto's at the sides raced forward. The one on the right reached Joukei first. He raised his fist to strike, but Joukei was quicker, kicking him in the stomach and thrusting his hand directly into Naruto's throat. The clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. The Naruto on the left sailed forward, but Joukei merely leant backwards as the Naruto sailed over him harmlessly.

"Stupid brat." He thought to himself. However, he didn't have much time to think as he felt someone roughly grab him by the arms. He felt a jolt of pain as Naruto's knee slammed into his spine. He was sent upwards, like whiplash from a crashed car. Hinata, now over her fear of the nin somewhat, raced forward. She delivered one of the Jyuuken strikes her clan was famous for straight to the heart. While the blow connected, she heard a familiar gasp. He eyes widened as Joukei slowly began to blur away, revealing Naruto. He gasped for breath, and coughed up a glob of blood.

"Naruto…" Hinata croaked out. What had she done, she had killed her-

"Hinata snap out of it!"

As Naruto fell to the ground, his eyes glazed over, Hinata thought she heard his voice. "Hinata!" it called out again. "I'm sorry Naruto…" she sobbed as she saw his pale white skin- wait, what? Naruto doesn't have pale white skin. Hinata's mouth fell open. Of course! How could she have been so stupid!

She clasped her hands together and said "Release."

The illusion she had been under immediately dissipated, revealing there to be no dead Naruto's lying at her feet. While there were quite a lot of them, all trying and failing to strike down Joukei. The battle had moved to the centre of the large pond, and now it consisted of Joukei who had obviously recovered from Naruto's knee to the spine, dodging and striking down Naruto's shadow clones. Still, to put a Hyŭga in a Genjutsu, especially with the Byakugan, was no easy feat. And he had performed it almost flawlessly.

"Hinata, are you there!" Naruto yelled once again. Joukei dispersed two other shadow clones, and, seeing Naruto talking to Hinata, sped forward with a kunai in hand.

"You're mine brat!"

Naruto didn't have time to react, and out of instinct raised his arm up to block the blow. It worked, but the kunai pierced his arm deeply. Joukei withdrew another one and went to stab the blonde in the chest, but Naruto reacted quickly, using his other hand to catch the blade.

With a snarl, Joukei leapt backwards and began to make hand signs. "Lightning Style: Voltage Jutsu!"

A collection of lightning bolts sped out of Joukei's hands, heading straight towards Naruto. However, the blonde made a familiar hand sign and summoned a shadow clone to take the hit. But then, the volts veered down, and hit the water with a deep crackle. The pond erupted in sparks, and Naruto gasped out in pain as a multitude of volts circulated through his body. Joukei had leapt up into the air to avoid his own Jutsu, but was now joined by Hinata.

The Hyŭga was trying her hardest to hit the lightning ninja, but it was to no avail. Every time she came close he ducked or dodged. As they fell back towards the water Hinata had an idea. Pushing chakra to her feet, she retracted and pushed them towards Joukei. Of course, he caught them, but Hinata pushed her chakra into him, resulting in a Jyuuken kick. Joukei felt some of his tenkutsu points block up, and with it the chakra flow to his hands.

"You bitch!" he cursed. As Hinata and Joukei landed on the now un-electrified water, the lightning nin rushed forward. He went for an uppercut but Hinata jumped backwards, he went to swipe out her legs and she jumped. This went on for a few moments, Hinata dodging every single one of Joukei's moves thanks to her poise and grace, and Joukei getting more and more frustrated by the second. Finally, he tried for another sweep, which Hinata dodged with ease and leapt into the air. But that was what Joukei wanted her to do. He swiftly uppercutted her, knocking her higher into the air. However, he made a series of complex hand signs. "Lightning Style: Lightning Pa-"

Naruto laced his arms under Joukei's arm pits and up around his shoulders, sealing the grip with a clutch. "No you don't asshole." Naruto sneered. However, Joukei smiled.

"Thank you for making it easier for me to take you out brat."

The lightning ninja headbutted Naruto, and as the blonde recoiled Joukei made a series of hand signs. "Lightning Style: Thunder Wave Jutsu!"

A shockwave of blue energy pulsed from Joukei's position, knocking Naruto backwards and shocking him in the process. As Naruto flew backwards, Joukei ran forward and planted another punch to the gut. As Naruto gasped for breath, Joukei gave him an uppercut and a final punch to the jaw.

While the blonde connected with one of the many statues that littered the area, crumpling to the floor, Joukei whirled around to dodge two of Hinata's palm strikes. Before she could react, he punched her in the gut, knocking the air out of her lungs, before grabbing her neck with both of his hands.

"Bitch." He snarled, before closing his eyes. Hinata felt multiple jolts of pain flow through her body, all emanating from her neck. With a strangled cry her knees crumpled as the electricity flowed through her body.

Joukei smiled maliciously, slapping her across the face. She fell backwards onto the water, barely conscious. As she floated, Joukei sighed, retracting a kunai from his pouch. "Shame that a clan such as the Hyŭga was born with such a waste of talent." He span the kunai in his hand for good measure, before thrusting it downwards, aiming for Hinata's heart.

"Fang over Fang!"

Two grey cyclones appeared from the left, speeding straight towards the lightning ninja. He noticed just in time however, and leapt backwards as the first cyclone crashed into the water. The two grey cyclones then worked together, chasing Joukei all around the pond. Joukei managed to dodge every attack barely, each time avoiding a few broken bones. Slowly, after a few moments the cyclones stopped spinning, revealing two identical teenage boys.

Joukei sighed. "More interruptions?"

Kiba growled menacingly. "Back off." He announced.

Hinata slowly rubbed her head. She needed to recuperate, get off the water and onto dry land. With her head spinning, she could make out two blurry shapes across the way. "She's my teammate. You have anything to do with her, you have something to do to me!"

Hinata tried to stand, weakly calling out "Kiba…."

However, she was hit by a dizzy spell and fell backwards, only to be caught in someone's arms. The person quickly and silently ran and leapt over a low cut hedge which was quite close to the bench Naruto and Hinata had been sitting on not minutes ago.

"Shino?" she croaked out, earning a hush from the bug nin. She felt something crawling across her forehead. Soon, the blurriness faded, revealing a rather concerned looking Shino.

"Wh-what happened?" she whispered. Shino, it almost seemed, cracked a smile under his hood.

"Some of my Kikaichȗ contain poison , but some contain medicine."

Hinata furrowed her eyebrows. While she didn't know much about Shino's Kikaichȗ, she did know that they fed on chakra and lived within the host's body. But that was about it. So, this was news to her.

"I'll explain later." Shino said as he noticed the curiosity in her eyes, recalling his bugs back to his body. "Stay here and recuperate. When and if you feel well enough, rejoin the fight."

And with that, he leapt over the hedge and ran forward.

Hinata panted heavily. While the effects of the Kikaichȗ were definitely helping, she still felt extremely light headed and dazed. She still had about half of her chakra left, and as she slowly peeked over the hedge, she knew that the others would need all the help they could get.

Kiba was engaging with Joukei in a Taijutsu battle, Kiba's fists sending water flying into the air. As the dog nin barrelled forward with his fist drawn, Joukei dodged to the side and delivered a kick to the gut, knocking Kiba off balance. The lightning ninja then sent his fist flying, hoping to catch Kiba's jaw. The dog nin caught the fist, and swivelled his own around, clocking Joukei in the jaw. He slowly stumbled backwards, while Kiba landed on his feet once again and went on the offensive. Kiba was stronger, but Joukei was faster. After dodging a sweeping kick Joukei had leapt upwards, and started to perform some handsigns. "Lightning Style: Voltage Jutsu!"

As an array of lightning bolts flew from Joukei's hands directly towards the dog nin. Kiba let out a bark of frustration, or rather, a bark. With a puff of smoke Akamaru appeared in Kiba's place, panting. He was tired, as he had been fighting Joukei the whole time. But, where was the real Kiba?

Kiba leapt upwards from the water, an explosive kunai in hand. He threw it, and Joukei backflipped, narrowly avoiding the explosion. Kiba had withdrawn some shuriken from his pouch and began flinging them at Joukei, who withdrew his own kunai and began batting them away. While all this was going on, Akamaru was breathing deeply, and before he could react the bolts of lightning were upon him…

A wall of bugs separated the lightning bolts and Akamaru, the crackle of dying bugs filling the air. Shino stepped forward, scooping up Akamaru and feeding him a food pill. The dog gave a bark of approval, and leapt from Shino's arms, rejuvenated.

Kiba meanwhile was swill engaged in a battle with Joukei. He threw three shuriken which the lightning nin deflected, and rushed forward with a kunai drawn. There was a clash of steel as Joukei and Kiba's kunai met in battle. They were pretty evenly matched, but after a few seconds it was apparent that Joukei had the upper hand. As Kiba dodged a quick strike, Joukei kicked him in the gut and went to slash at his throat. The dog nin did manage to block the strike, but didn't notice Joukei's free palm fill with electricity. He slammed it into Kiba's gut, shocking him. With Kiba injured, Joukei once again went to slash at his throat. He didn't connect however as Shino joined the duo, aiming with his own kunai at Joukei's head. The lightning ninja dodged, kicked Kiba in the gut for good measure and whirled around to face Shino. There was another clash of steel as the duo's kunai met in battle. Shino, knowing he could not win in hand to hand combat, he jumped backwards. Quickly, his Kikaichȗ began to swarm out of him as he created some hand signs. "Aburame Art: Insect Cyclone Jutsu!"

As the insects formed into the cyclone, and sped forwards at an alarming rate, Joukei knew he would have to react fast. He went to create some hand signs of his own to counter Shino's technique, but he couldn't, as a certain blonde ninja interfered. Naruto kicked Joukei in the side, causing the lightning ninja to wince and not complete his hand signs. Naruto leapt backwards just in time as the cyclone of insects cascaded into Joukei. With the full force of the blast he was sent careering over the water's surface, turning and twisting. He landed with a thud against a statue, and he fell to the ground. While Shino withdrew his bugs, he noticed something different, something small and pellet like. In a flash, he was obscured by thick black smoke. Joukei seemingly rose from his fake slumber and sped forward into the smoky blackness. There was as sound of clashing steel and a cry of pain. Shino sailed out of the black smog, landing with a thud against the ground. Kiba growled, bounding forward once again with Akamaru at his side "Inuzuka Style: Bestial Rage Jutsu!"

Akamaru transformed into another Kiba, and the duo was soon enveloped in a thin line of purple chakra. "Bestial Fang over Fang!"

The duo turned into purple cyclones instead of the usual grey ones, and they were significantly faster. Joukei didn't have time to block as the combined force of Kiba and Akamaru connected with his back. There was a loud crack as Joukei cried out in pain. Hinata, seeing her opportunity jumped up and caught Joukei in the shoulder with a palm strike. It seized up, going limp at his side. She gracefully dodged as he flew forward and landed against a tree. A loud crack filled the large garden as the tree slowly fell downwards and collapsed.

As the dust cleared, Kiba panted heavily. Maybe it was- no, he wasn't there. Wait what!

Kiba scowled, where was the lightning ninja? He couldn't see anything…

Wait, no, he couldn't see anything. At all. The world was slowly fading to black.

"What!" Kiba called out. He heard Akamaru yip in fear, and the dog nin turned his gaze to the now fading dog.

Kiba twisted and turned, trying to escape whatever this was. Slowly, his ears began to fail him, the sounds that one would usually here were disappearing. Then his sense of smell began to disappear also, his main weapon was vanishing! The world was black, there was a deafening silence, and he felt as though his nose had been blocked up. Maybe he was dead?

Back with Hinata it was a completely different story. She was watching as Kiba turned around, desperately looking for… well, Hinata didn't no. "Kiba!" she called out fruitlessly once again, but it seemed as though he couldn't hear her.

He stumbled around blind for a few moments before the dog nin fell on his knees. He let out a sharp cry of pain, like he had been struck in the face. Hinata rushed forward, ready to help her friend-

She was cut off as Joukei appeared in front of her, socking her in the gut. The Hyŭga let out a gasp of pain as she was sent backwards.

"You cow!" he snarled, clutching his limp arm. Hinata wiped some blood that was dripping down her chin, and scowled. She was however, lifted up by Naruto.

"You okay?" he asked her, and even thought this wasn't the time or place, she blushed. But that was short lived as Joukei rushed forward with a kunai in his good hand. Naruto shoved the Hyŭga out the way and blocked the kunai with one of his own. Naruto went for a slash, but Joukei ducked and tried to stab the blonde in the leg. He jumped back to avoid the attack and raced forward. Another round of blocks and blows began, until Joukei parried one of Naruto's attacks and saw an opening. He had to act quickly as Hinata was rushing forward to attack him. So, quick as a flash he ripped off his blindfold. He had no eyes, just empty black eye sockets. Naruto seemed frozen, before he started to twist and turn around. "Hey, why's everything going dark! Where am I!"

Hinata rushed forward and went for another Jyuuken strike, but Joukei ducked. The Hyŭga blanched for a second as she got up close to those black eye sockets. They were like a dark void that wanted to suck you in-

Hinata let out a croak. She looked down, and saw the kunai embedded deep in the right side of her stomach. Joukei grinned. "Sucks for you bitch!"

He pulled out the kunai ruthlessly, blood flowing freely from the now gaping wound. Hinata let out a cry of pain as she tried to block the blood flow. Joukei however didn't give her a chance. He brought the kunai and once again stabbed the teen in the stomach, yanking it out. He slapped her forcefully, knocking her backwards as she yelped in pain.

Joukei laughed as he saw the girl writhing and crying in pain as she tried to stop the bleeding. The water had run red with her blood, and the lightning ninja smirked happily. Now that everyone was incapacitated-

Joukei heard them before he saw them. A battalion of beetles descended on his good arm, and the sound of tearing flesh filled the air. Joukei gave a howl of pain as Shino came stumbling out of the forest, a gash on his cheek. He panted heavily, but under his tattered hood he smirked.

"You're done." He announced. Joukei gave another howl, but shook his head forcefully.

"No, you are done!"

He made a single hand seal, and yelled "Lightning Style: Thunder Wave Jutsu!"

A shockwave of lightning released from Joukei's body, frying the insects on his arm leaving a torn and bloody mess in their wake. Shino frowned. He had lost half of his colony. He needed to finish up soon.

However, Joukei made a move before the bug nin could even blink. He made some unfamiliar hand signs, and yelled "Lightning Style: Lightning Spear Jutsu!"

A spear of lightning formed in Joukei's hand, and he smirked before throwing it. The speed which It moved was too much for Shino to bear, and with an almighty cackle connected with Shino's left shoulder. There was a hiss as the spear evaporated, leaving a gaping hole of flesh and blood. Shino blocked the hole with his hand, groaning in pain. He shot one last look at the bleeding and spluttering Hinata, who hands were glowing green and she was trying to patch up her wounds. As a last ditch effort, Shino sent a few of his medicine bugs to help with her healing Jutsu. Shino fell on his knees, took a sharp intake of breath, his face contorted in pain, and fell on his face, unconscious.

Joukei smirked, surveying the area. Naruto and Kiba were unconscious, thanks to the effects of the Genjutsu, with Akamaru yipping at his master's side. Hinata was still trying to seal the huge cuts, and was succeeding, although her eyes were glazing over. So, his work was done. He sauntered over the water and scooped Naruto up in his arm. As he proceeded to walk away back into the forest, he heard a twig snap. He whirled around just in time to see a stream of fire flying towards him. He narrowly dodged to the side, dropping Naruto with a loud thud on the ground. From behind a tree, the mystery assailant revealed himself.

Sasuke scoffed. "Freak." He gestured to Joukei's empty eye sockets, and activated his Sharingan. Joukei blanched slightly, and the Uchiha smirked. "Prepare to face the true power of the Uchiha!"

**And that is it. The next chapter will pick up where chapter four more or less left off. Also, the fight between Sasuke and Joukei will be cut out. Why? Because it is a plot point. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading. Wish me luck on my exams! **

**But, I did just remember something. I have about 3 more chapters backlogged, but after that it will take me a while to write some more. You will still get a chapter every 4-7 days, unless something goes horribly wrong. That's all, Enjoy!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everybody, and welcome to the sixth chapter of the Winds of Change! This chapter is huge, with about 5500 words! However, it is entirely based in my ocs. So you will get to know them a bit better, the mannerisms, and the like. Now, I am introducing two other ocs in this chapter, but those will be the only other ocs, apart from the minor villains. I once again apologize if you don't like ocs, but I did state that this story would have heavy oc use in it. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I only own my ocs, plot and some Jutsus that I made up. I also don't own ******. He belongs to Bioware, as do his markings.**

Chapter 6: Brooding with Boys

As the wind whistled through the air, and the clouds floated above the earth obscuring the full moon and the twinkling stars, a few silent figures walked slowly down the decrepit pathway. There cloaks obscured their faces, the only sound being made being there heavy slow exhausted breaths. There were five, all walking in mostly perfect symmetry.

Kura's eyes darted from left to right, checking on her teammates and sensei. Great, they were all brooding. Kataki headed the group, his posture implicating his sheer anger and worry. Raion led off to the right side, every now and then casting a glance back towards Kataki, and a shake of the head. Gurei was to the left, deep in thought as he always was. Although from what Kura could tell, he was tense. Worried. And Itachi? He was stood off to her side, as silent and calm as ever. Nothing ever fazed that man. He was almost unbreakable. But then again, everything was breakable. You just needed to know the right place to push.

"Where are we going?"

Gurei's question knocked everybody out of there trances, and although most just inclined there head to the side slightly, they were certainly interested to find out where they were headed.

"Orochiasu." Their sensei answered, a small frown etching his features. Kura nodded in thought.

"Do you think they'll be any tavern wenches that want a quick tumble?"

Nobody replied to Kura's question, except it almost seemed that the corners of Itachi's mouth quirked upwards. "No." Kataki announced increasing his pace. Raion gave a low growl in his throat and stomped after him, not ready to be beaten. Gurei watched them with mild curiosity, but quickly got back to his deep thinking.

"Men!" Kura began rolling her eyes. She sighed. The dirty uneven path was becoming more and more stable, signifying that they would soon be near the town of Orochiasu.

It had taken them approximately 9 hours of intense and gruelling running to reach the area, and Kura was more than happy to lie down. Although tomorrow the fun would begin. She smirked eagerly to herself, happy with the prospect of deflowering more roses. "Do you know anything much about this area?" Gurei asked his sensei. The Uchiha shook his head.

"No, not much. Only that it houses one of the largest and most profitable trading markets in the Land of Fire."

Gurei nodded, taking the information in. "So you've never been here before?"

"No."

Gurei knitted his eyebrows together in confusion, which really didn't happen often. "So, how do you know they went this way?"

"I placed a tracker on the girl while we were fighting." Kataki called back, stopping for a moment. Itachi nodded his confirmation, and Kura shrugged.

"So sensei, when you say a large marketplace, do you mean large taverns-"

"Kura." Itachi said smoothly without a hint of annoyance in his voice. The dark haired girl raised her hands up in surrender, pouting and muttering something about how nobody wanted her to have any fun.

Raion turned to glare at her. "Just stop Kura! Can't you be serious for one minute? Do you not care about Tali at all!"

Kura froze up, before her lip curled into a snarl. "What did you say?" She hissed.

"I said-"

"How dare you!" she snarled. "You think I don't care about her. You bastard, I'll rip you-"

Kataki stepped in-between them. "Stop it, the both of you." He shot them both a glare which they returned full force.

"I'm not going to listen to you, you're the reason she was-"

Raion felt Kataki's hand wrap around his throat, and felt the red headed boy's katana against his chest.

"Watch what you say dog!" he snarled. Raion let out a guttural growl and grabbed Kataki's hand, yanking it off with ease.

"Stop!"

Everyone froze. Itachi was frowning deeply, and he looked saddened. "You three… you really want to blame Tali's kidnapping on each other? Fine. Kura, you got knocked out and were no use at all."

Kura's eyes bored into the ground. "Raion, you were too wrapped up in trying to out-fight Kataki to have been any use." Raion sighed, a look of pure remorse on his face.

"And Kataki." Itachi turned to face his student. "You were not fighting to the best of your abilities.

"But sensei, I had been pr-"

"It does not matter. You assumed that your sword play would be enough to defeat a member of the Akatsuki. You were cocky and arrogant." Kataki looked at the floor, a look of pure horror and defeat gracing his features.

"Gurei did nothing wrong. He did his duty as the medic." Itachi nodded in Gurei's direction, but he only inclined his head to the side slightly.

"But, there was one more person who failed." The whole group looked up at their sensei's face. "Me."

"Bu-but, you weren't even-"

"Yes Raion, I was not there. Had I been things would have gone differently. So, we are all to blame. I you want to blame Tali's kidnapping on someone, blame me."

The group was silent for a moment, contemplating his words, before they all nodded. Itachi kept his mouth evenly set. "Good. Now let's continue, we have wasted enough time already." And with that the Uchiha brushed past his team and continued onward.

Raion rubbed his foot of the ground awkwardly. "Sorry…"

Kura still looked pissed, and gave a huff of annoyance, but said. "I'm sorry for trying to kill you. Well, not really."

Raion couldn't help but smirk, and turned his attention to Kataki. The redheaded nin looked Raion up and down, and scowled. "I suggest you think before you act Raion. Sensei may not be there to break up the fight next time." Raion's smirk turned into a scowl.

"Is that a threat?"

Kataki turned around and walked onward. "No, it is a fact."

Raion growled and went to lunge for Kataki, but Kura put a hand on his shoulder. "Leave him; he's just torn up over Tali."

Raion mumbled, but nodded, and the two proceeded after their group.

They walked for a few minutes in silence, the only sound being the sound of footsteps on dirt and the winds howling embrace.

Eventually, Itachi stopped walking, and inclined his hand to the left.

"We shall walk down this path; we will then reach an abandoned farmhouse. That will be our base of operations."

The group nodded, and they began to walk down the path. Kataki, however, had knitted his eyebrows together in confusion. He subtly maneuvered towards Gurei, carefully making sure nobody was watching. As he neared the grey haired boy, he whispered. "You heard it too?"

"What of the two things are you referring too?"

"Itachi-sensei said that he had never been to this part of Konoha, so how did he know there was a farm house down there?"

"So you did notice that? Good, glad I'm not the only one." Gurei smirked. Kataki nodded, and smiled slightly.

"Do you think the others noticed?"

Gurei shook his head. "Kura? Maybe. She hasn't inclined to us that she knows. And Raion? No, he's too… focused to notice such a thing."

Kataki snorted. "Well, that is one way of putting stupidity."

Gurei chuckled quietly. "Raion is not stupid; he is just more inclined to heavy lifting and fighting then intellectual pursuits."

Kataki nodded. They stayed in silence for a while, before Kataki asked. "So, when do you think they'll strike?"

As the group had been walking, a series of large rocks had appeared on the sides of the road. And of course, anybody with a trained eye could see 12 bandits sneaking from rock to rock following their progress. Of course, Itachi, Gurei and Kataki had noticed right away. However, the two teens were not sure if Kura had noticed, while they were certain Raion had not. Their question was answered however, when Kura withdrew a kunai from her cloak and threw it at one of the bandits. It embedded in his neck, and with a loud gurgle, he slumped to the floor.

"What!" Raion asked, looking from between Kura and the dead bandit.

Kataki let out a snort, before he withdrew his dual katana's and smirked. Gurei did not react, just pushed his glasses up the rim of his nose.

Itachi merely inclined his head backwards slightly, and said. "When you've dealt with them, meet me at the farmhouse." And he just carried on walking.

The group just stood there for a few seconds of silence, before a shrill cry of "Attack!" filled the air. A group of three bandits rushed at Kataki from the sides, wielding clubs and knives. Kataki smirked, before rushing forward. The first of the bandits throat was slit as Kataki's katana ran over his neck. The second one raised his club to strike Kataki, but the nin caught it. The third man rushed forward with the knife and went to strike Kataki, but a green hand sliced at his arm. The hand fell limply to the side as Gurei tutted. As the man looked on in disbelief, well, for a moment, until his windpipe was slit open thanks to Gurei's chakra scalpels. And the second man's eyes widened, and choked out. "Please forgive me, I was just-"

A mouthful of blood escaped his lips as Kataki buried his katana deep in his gut. He coughed once more before the light left his eyes. Kataki withdrew the blade and smiled at Gurei. "Bandits. Predictable and boring." Gurei definitely agreed with that statement.

Kura was surrounded on all sides by five men. A rather rounded fellow with a brown manky beard whistled. "Tell ya what, you take off ya clothes ya whore, and I might make your death quick!" he roared with laughter, as did the others. Kura just smiled sweetly.

"I thank you for the offer, but you're not my type. I prefer my men with a hint of masculinity."

Before the bushy man could retort, Kura put her hands together in a sign. "Shadow Style: Impaling Dark!"

An array of dark shapes slithered from where Kura was stood and quickly shot up, forming sharp spikes. The four men surrounding her were instantly impaled, coughing and spluttering as they felt the life drain from their bodies. The bushy bearded man was trapped between the spikes, unable to move his hands or legs. Kura smiled once again sweetly and walked forward, shaking her hips in a seductive manner. She smirked as she cupped the man's horrified and sweating face with her hand. "Shame really. Everybody should lose their virginity before they die."

The spikes suddenly changed and formed around the man's neck, squeezing. "But, with a penis like yours, it's not surprising that you never got laid." The spikes spun around, twisting the man's neck in an unnatural position with a sick snap. Kura smiled.

"And FYI, that beard makes you look like a paedophile. But, you probably were one!" she snickered.

Raion was not enjoying himself. He was surrounded by three bandits, and they all had big pointy sticks. A tall ginger man snarled and raced forward. Raion pushed his orange chakra into his hands, and launched himself forward. He dodged the spear with ease and his fist connected with the bandit's stomach. There was a loud crack as the bandit's ribs snapped. Raion caught the second bandits spear in his hand with ease. As the first bandit clutched his stomach in pain, Raion pulled the other bandit forward by his spear. As Raion's fist flared with more orange chakra, he swung forward. There was a resounding crack as the nin's fist connected with the left side of the bandits face, crushing it. The force of the blow not only shattered the jaw, cheek bone and fractured the man's skull, but the sheer brutality of the blow and twisted the bandit's neck so far in the opposite direction that he was dead straight after contact.

The third bandit had circled around and threw her spear at the nin. He side-stepped and it sailed into the tall ginger man's gut. He coughed up a glob of blood and collapsed. Before the female bandit could even react, Raion was on her. He grasped hold of her head with both hands and twisted it in an unnatural direction. She was dead within a second.

As the final bandit fell there was a deep silence. After all, Itachi had taught them to respect their foes, even ones as lowly as these.

"Right, can we go now?" Raion asked impatiently. Gurei couldn't help but sigh. Sometimes his teammates really got on his nerves.

"Yes, we can." The grey haired boy announced, turning away quickly and walking down the path. Kura took looked around at the massive amount of bodies surrounding her and shrugged.

"Ah well, nobody will miss them. Well, saying that, I'll definitely miss this one," she said as she cupped one of the bandits that she killed faces. "He's a handsome bugger. Real easy on the eyes, you know, when he wasn't dead."

Gurei chuckled. "Although the thought is intriguing, can we please refrain from necrophilia?"

It was Kura's turn to chuckle. "Relax; I prefer them alive and hot, rather than dead and cold."

Kataki smirked, and Raion burst out laughing. "Well, if you prefer them alive and hot, why do you like Kataki!"

Said nin frowned. "Better to be dead and cold then braindead and ugly."

Raion went to retort angrily, but Kura smacked him upside the head, shutting him up. Kataki smirked triumphantly.

As the group went to walk onwards, about twenty bandits appeared at the sides of the rocks surrounding the group. They all bore spears and knives and had their eyes drawn to Kataki. "There's the little bitch that stuck Kizumaru!" one of them roared pointing his finger at Kataki. There were shouts of 'Kill the bitch,' which were met with a general consensus of agreement. Kataki just yawned.

"I'll catch up," he said waving his group off. Kura nodded and waved to the bandits.

"Goodbye!" she said and she grasped Raion's squirming forearm and pulled him along. Raion tried to struggle, but a kick to the shins silenced him. Gurei just gave a nod of acknowledgment in Kataki's direction and continued walking away.

As the group passed over a small hill and out of the line of sight, Kataki looked at the now advancing bandits. With his right hand, he brought his katana over his left wrist, and slit it, doing the same with the right one. As the blood pooled on the floor, one of the bandits laughed. "Committing suicide already? Bah, ho-"

As Kura, Raion and Gurei continued forwards, the shrewd and dilapidated farmhouse in sight, sounds of horrified screams and squelches could be heard. "Oh, he's doing the messy way. I like mess." Kura remarked to Gurei as she still held on tight to Raion's forearm, much to the boy's annoyance.

"I bet you do." Gurei replied, half-smiling.

As they continued walking, the sounds of the wind drowned out by the screams, Raion narrowed his eyes. "What's necrophilia?"

Kataki (his clothes and hands layered with blood) joined up with the group just as they reached the entrance to the plot of land that the farmhouse was on. A small mangled gate creaked as the wind blew, and a sign post fell to the ground with a thud. The farmhouse itself was not much better. It was charred a deep black, like it had been the victim of a blazing fire. The amount of holes in the building, you would assume it was really a burnt beehive. "Well, this is a dump." Raion announced. And the rest couldn't help but agree.

"So, we're sleeping where animals crapped and pissed? Just like any room that Raion stayed in for too long."

Raion growled at Kura's insult, but shrugged it off. They were all too tired to argue. That would commence in the morning. So, begrudgingly, the group set off into their new base. Raion kicked the large barn door open with a loud and spine tingling shriek. The inside of the barn was mostly dark, apart from the areas which were illuminated slightly by the broken and decaying barn roof which let in the night's sky. The group entered the barn, looking around for anything useful. They found nothing. Still, it would do for a place to sleep. Kura yawned as she leaned against a crumbling piece of wall. "Can we go to bed yet?"

Gurei nodded, and reached into his pocket, taking out a small scroll. He placed it on the ground, unwrapped it, and placed his hand on the seal inside the scroll.

"Release," he uttered, and there was a small pop as a bunch of sleeping bags and some 'magazines' popped into existence.

"What the hell!" Raion yelled as he went over to the pile of magazines and picked one up. He whirled around on Kura. "Why do you have my magazines!"

"You're magazines?" Kura retorted. "Most if not all are mine and I need something to pleasure me. I haven't had sex in, like four days!"

At this moment, Itachi stepped out of the shadows, his arms folded across his chest. "Get rid of them." He commanded. Kura pouted, but complied, grabbing them all in an armful and taking them outside.

"You do know she's just going to hide them?" Kataki spoke for the first time since arriving at the farmhouse. Itachi nodded in confirmation.

"I would like to get some sleep tonight."

Raion burst out laughing, and Gurei let out a childish snort. Kataki just smirked.

"However, we shall not be sleeping in the farmhouse." He announced as Kura re-entered their temporary accommodation. "Follow me."

He then briskly walked out of the barn and turned right. Kataki and Gurei exchanged confused looks, but followed after their sensei, Kura and Raion in toe. They walked across the perimeter of the barn, before turning another right and stopping at the very back.

"We are here." Itachi announced as he turned to face the decomposing wall. He slowly reached down, grasping hold of something, and yanking upwards. There was a loud sharp creak as the trapdoor wrenched open, revealing one lone stop step and a hole of darkness.

"We're going into a cellar? I hope there won't be any 'Whining'!" Gurei yelled. Everyone except Itachi groaned.

"Dark pit, Gurei's jokes? Pit wins." Kura said as she quickly followed Itachi down the trapdoor.

"It stinks in here." Kura muttered as they continued to descend down the spiral stone stairway. It just kept going and going. Still, they should be nearing the bottom soon, or so Kataki hoped. Kura was correct, it stank in there. They would have been better off in the barn. Eventually, after another minute of stale silence, Itachi reached a wooden door. As he went to reach for the wooden handle, he froze slightly. Raion's nostrils flared, and Gurei strained his ears. There was humming. Happy humming.

"Sensei, I thought you said this place was deserted?" Kura mouthed. Their sensei shrugged his shoulders, his mouth curled into a small frown.

He held up his hand, and began to curl his fingers. The group knew what that sign meant, and began to get into their fighting stances. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

The group burst through the door, Kataki bounding through first with Raion close behind him. He raised his katana's to attack whoever was in there, but stopped, and stared, sheathing his blades. As the others joined him in the room, they too stared. Itachi walked over to one of the dusty stone walls and leaned back, his arms crossed. "Who are you?"

The room was medium sized, enough to fit the group in for the night. It was littered with bizarre scientific tubes and bottles, some filled with varying concoctions of increasing bizzarity. Tables were overturned, splintered and broken like a tornado had just passed through. But, at the back of the room, was a holding cell. Its bars were rusted, and most were broken. But, behind those rusted bars, were two people.

The first was male, with whiteish grey hair that was rather nicely kept. He was scrawny, malnourished with a small and wry frame. The most striking of his features, however, were those intricate tattoos. The best way to describe them would be like the roots of a tree, twisting and turning down the man's spine, arms and legs. They were a white colour, and they pulsed with chakra. The man was wearing next to nothing, only a loincloth separated him from true nudity. He faced one of the stone walls, his eyes fixated on the cracks. Slowly, he turned around, his hazel eyes burning with curiosity and slight malice. On his left shoulder, was the unmistakable curse mark that Orochimaru was famous for. However, this man was not the source of the humming.

There was a girl, her hair snow white, long and wispy. Her eyes were closed, and a smile was gracing her pale complexion. She hummed softly, her arms hugging her legs to her chest. From what the others could tell, she was nude. There was something off about her though. The way she hummed softly like there wasn't a care in the world, or the way that her smile was eerily malicious. She opened her eyes. They were a light blue, barely discernible from white. She stopped humming.

"We are slaves." The man answered, looking over the group with mild curiosity. "And just what are you?"

Kataki crossed his arms over his chest warily, exchanging a look with Kura and Raion to cover him. "We are ninja."

"Yes, I know." The man's voice was gravely, like he had just had something hot poured down his throat.

Kataki stepped forward slightly, his eyes darting towards the girl in the corner, who just eyed him curiously. She giggled.

"Forgive her," The man began, walking towards the bars. Kataki instinctively took a step backwards. The man eyed him, almost as if he was disappointed.

"What are your names?" Kura piped up from the back. The man looked at her, and frowned.

"You first."

Raion scoffed. "You're not really in the position to make demands-"

"Kataki." The red headed boy said, ignoring Raion's frustrated growl at being ignored. The man turned around.

"Kataki," he said, as if he was getting used to the new word, sounding it out.

"And what's yours?"

The man turned around, a small smirk playing on his lips. "My name is unpronounceable in your tongue."

He reached for a small silver dog tag that lay around his neck. He picked it up and moved it around his his long fingers. "My m- Former master had a nickname for me. Fenris. It will do."

Kataki nodded. "Fenris." He sounded out the word like 'Fenris' had sounded out his name. "That is… a bizarre name."

Fenris nodded.

Gurei had now joined Kataki, his eyes flickering curiously over Fenris' markings. However, they soon flitted over to where the girl still sat, her pale blue eyes widened in excitement. "What's her name?" he questioned gesturing to the girl. Fenris eyed the boy curiously, and a smirk played on his lips, but it soon turned into a frown.

"She does not have one."

Kataki smiled slightly. "She has no name?"

Fenris shook his head. "We have never had need for names, being the playthings of our former master. I was nicknamed. She has no designation."

"Then, what would you like to be called?" The girl jolted slightly at Gurei's speech, but she smiled.

"Utsuro."

"A fitting name." Gurei smiled. She smiled back.

"What are you doing in there?" Raion asked impatiently stomping forward. Fenris eyed him with disdain, but answered. "We were abandoned."

"By Orochimaru." Everybody had forgotten Itachi was there, leaning against the wall casually.

"Yes, by master Orochimaru."

"And who are you loyal too?" the question caused Fenris to bristle angrily.

"I am not loyal to that snake!" he spat. Kataki smiled.

"Glad we have found someone who hates the child molester as much as we do." Kura sounded, walking forward. Fenris looked her up and down. His face contorted into one of rage and disgust.

"When I find him, he will be unrecognizable."

Itachi was frowning, watching the slave clench his fists. "What type of slave were you?" he asked, his brows furrowing. Fenris' nostrils flared, but he looked down at the ground, ashamed.

"I-I… was his tool to be used whenever he wished."

Gurei's eyes widened.

"What the hell does that mean!" Raion yelled exasperated. Kura shot him a scathing look. Kataki was frowning deeply.

"I-I am sorry."

Fenris scoffed, but smiled slightly. "I thank you, but your concerns are not needed. You should be more concerned for Orochimaru."

"I'm still confused!" Raion once again yelled. Gurei sighed, shaking his head as if to force out the disgusting mental images.

"His body was a tool, ready to be bent at Orochimaru's will, for his sick pleasurable games." He seethed.

"I still don't- oh!" the brown haired boy in acknowledgement nodding vigorously. Gurei and Kataki rolled their eyes.

"How big was the paedophile's penis?"

Everyone turned to face Kura. She shrugged. "What, I just wanna know."

Fenris however seemed to find Kura's bluntness amusing and he let out a hollow laugh. "It's… average."

"Ha!" Kura fist pumped. "I knew his tongue was compensating for something!"

Kataki let out a sigh, but smiled somewhat. Fenris just shook his head. Itachi, however, finally stepped forward. "Shall we let you out?"

Fenris nodded eagerly. "And if it would please you, I would humbly request some food and water."

"I dunno…" Kataki trailed off as he noticed the hollow look in Fenris' eyes, like a wounded animal.

"Definitely not!" Raion exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger. "Look at the curse mark on his shoulder! He's obviously working for Orochimaru."

Kura tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Even if he tried to attack us, which I'm pretty sure he won't, sensei could kill him in a heartbeat. I say we let him out."

Fenris gave a bow of thanks. Raion shook his head, but sighed. "I suppose."

Kataki kept his mouth firmly even, but nodded his conformation. Gurei reached for the bars of the door, and opened it with a loud creak. Before anyone blinked, Utsuro had brushed past the grey haired nin and had rushed Kura. Kataki went to reach for his katana, but stopped, his face filled with horror and a tint of amusement. Utsuro had pressed her lips against Kura's in a chaste kiss that lasted maybe only two seconds, before she pulled away.

"So that's what skin tastes like." The white haired girl said, her curiosity sated.

Kura looked slightly flabbergasted, but smiled. "Well, she's got soft lips. I like her."

Kataki and Itachi both rolled their eyes, but nodded. And then everybody realised that Utsuro was still stark naked, bare as the day she was born. Raion let out a perverted giggle, but turned away quickly. Kura 'examined' the girl, every once in a while letting out a soft hum, examining every inch of the oblivious white haired girl. Everyone else remained ridiculously neutral, almost barley paying attention to the naked girl standing a few feet away, their faces neutral, and considering how beautiful she looked, was a fear of will indeed. Gurei broke the silence, coughing awkwardly. "Umm, Utsuro… You're uh, naked."

Utsuro looked down and also examined her pale frame. She just smiled.

"Being dressed is for humans." She announced, rather coldly.

Kura smirked suggestively. "And I bet you're an animal."

Itachi sighed audibly. Fenris just quirked an eyebrow. "Utsuro, would you please were something less revealing, like possibly any clothes?"

The pale girl turned and faced the grey haired boy, scowled slightly, but nodded.

She briskly walked over towards a cabinet in the corner, opened it with a rough thud, and grasped at a pure white kimono. She swiftly put it on, while almost everybody (especially Kura) looked at her with mild curiosity. Itachi however, had a small frown on his face, almost indiscernible from his usual neutral expression. But it was there.

Itachi was deep in thought. From what he could tell with his observant eyes, when Utsuro stated only humans wear clothes, she wasn't making a joke. She was serious. So what did she mean?

Itachi knew there was something odd about her. The way her face changed from one of sheer obliviousness like a newborn baby to a cold hard stare like an old war veteran was unnerving and peculiar all at once. And her chakra aura, it was off, different. Like it wasn't her own. As if reading the Uchiha's mind, she swivelled around and shot Itachi an icy glare that must have lasted only a second, before it was replaced with a smile. After she finished getting dressed, she began to hum happily, taking a seat on one of the broken cabinets that littered the stone floor.

Raion turned to face his sensei, a look of chagrin present on his features. "Sensei, you can't possibly have them stay with us. They could be working with the Akatsuki, maybe they helped to kidnap Tali! We need to-"

"Tali you say? I recognize that name."

Everyone turned to face Fenris. "While I was sneaking around the area, before I was imprisoned here, I heard some people taking about their quarry." He stopped as Raion raised his fist angrily.

"And you did nothing to stop them?"

Fenris shook his head. "Had I known that this 'Tali' had something to do with you, I would have listened more intently. I only caught the tail end of the conversation, something about them remaining in Orochiasu and laying low in the 'Compound'. That's all I heard before I moved on."

Kataki crossed his arms. "That is a likely story. Don't get me wrong, I believe almost everything you've said so far. But really? Let me guess, you know the location and will take us there. We get there, and you stab us in the back!"

Itachi looked for any signs of someone lying. There were none. His face was coolly composed. He was either an extremely gifted liar, or he was telling the truth. He smiled slightly. "I suppose that is a normal and acceptable response, but I do not know where this compound is. If I did, I would tell you. I have no loyalty to that snake!"

"You mean Orochimaru?" Gurei questioned. "But he didn't kidnap Tali…"

"The man and woman stated that they were hiding in a base formerly belonging to the 'child molester'."

Kura nodded. "Yep, definitely Orochimaru."

Fenris went to continue, but his eyes glinted slightly, like a child walking into a sweet shop. He turned his head slightly, an intense smirk playing on his lips. He pointed towards the open cabinet. Inside was a large steel sword, huge in length and menacing. Really really menacing.

"That is my sword. I thought it lost when I was captured!" he leapt up quickly, brushing past Utsuro and grasping at the swords hilt. He smiled happily, manoeuvring the blade around in his hands. "May I keep it?" he inquired. Kataki had his hand placed on the hilt of his katana warily, a studious look plaguing his features.

"Put the sword down." He commanded. Fenris shrugged slightly, placing the blade against the wall. He crossed his arms and leaned backwards.

"There, are you happy now?" the white haired man asked as Kataki withdrew his grip on his sword. The red head nodded.

Fenris however scowled slightly. "Am I allowed to keep it?" he asked once again.

"Hmm," Kura said tapping her chin thoughtfully. Raion looked like he was going to object, but seemed to refrain as Gurei leaned close. Kataki and Itachi kept their faces neutral.

Itachi smiled slightly. "Yes, if you agree to work with us to find out friend."

Raion's eye's bugged. "Sensei, you can't be serious! What if they sneak attack us?"

Kataki nodded. "For once, I agree with Raion." Said brown haired boy shot him a pointed look. "These guys could be dangerous. They should stay down here for the time being."

"That's not good enough!" Raion howled, pointing an accusing finger at an amused Fenris while Utsuro looked mildly angry, scowling slightly. Kura smacked him on the head.

"And what are we supposed to do? Leave them here to die?"

Before Raion could fully clench his fist to throw a punch Fenris cut in. "Does your dog always act unruly, or am I witnessing a special occasion?"

Raion snarled, but was stopped by a cold hard glare from Itachi. The Uchiha then shut a pointed glare towards Fenris. "You will respect my students, and possibly your teammates in time. You will stay down here until we have need or call for you. You will not use any jutsu and will relinquish all weapons. Failure for any of these tasks will result in a quick death. Understand?"

Kataki smirked slightly as Itachi went into drill sergeant mode. Fenris laughed heartily, causing Raion's already red forehead to bulge with a vein comically. "Yes, I and Utsuro promise to abide by these rules that you have set. We shall await here until you need us."

Itachi nodded. "Kataki, you take first watch. The rest of you, get some sleep. Fenris, we shall have a longer talk about your skills and such in the morning." Itachi briskly left, followed by a glaring Raion, a thoughtful Gurei, and a flirtatious Kura as she blew a kiss towards Kataki, Fenris and Utsuro. The red head shook his head, a laugh rumbling through his chest.

"So, she is good with skin contact?" Utsuro asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

**So, thoughts on Fenris and Utsuro? I should point out something, however, Fenris is from another fandom. A game called Dragon Age 2. Don't worry if you haven't played the game, all you need to know is that he is a slave. Now, I will be changing him slightly, but Fenris and his markings belong to Bioware. I just change around his background and adapted it to the Naruto fandom. Anyway, review! And thanks for them in advance!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everybody, and welcome to the seventh chapter of the Winds of Change! It's funny, on my first chapter of my other secondary story Vipers Path (Which, to those who haven't read it, should,) has over half the reviews of this story. And it's only on the first chapter! I'm not angry or anything, but I found it pretty funny. Anyway, on with the aftermath of the battle with Joukei. I apologize in advanced for any spelling errors you may come across, and I will fix them in time. On with the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I would make Shino have babies with everybody and then take over the world with his midget underlings! *Ahem***

Chapter 7: Aftermath

Beep, beep, beep. The sounds of a machine beeping stirred Naruto from his slumber. He groaned as he felt a sharp pain in his chest, wincing slightly. He opened his eyes to a sterile white ceiling, his eyes squinting as the light shone through from some unknown area.

"Oww…" the blonde groaned as he tried to sit up, but was pushed down. His eyes lost focus for a moment, before they readjusted to the figure standing over him. "Kakashi sensei?"

Kakashi frowned, his eyes slanting slightly. "Lie down."

Naruto nodded reluctantly, lying backwards with a heavy sigh. His eyes once again squinted at the light coming through the blind. Kakashi noticed this and shut the blind, blocking the light. Naruto sighed in relief. "Thanks sensei," Naruto realised that he was sounding like a dying frog. "What happened? I remember fighting… and then, nothing."

Kakashi nodded. "I was about to ask you what you actually remember. Is that all?" Naruto studied Kakashi, and realised that he looked extremely forlorn. To forlorn to worry about him.

"The ninja… He said his name was… Jo-Joukei, I think that was it." Kakashi nodded.

"Anything else?"

Naruto shook his head. Kakashi sighed, and rubbed his visible eye. "Okay then." And with that he stood up and stretched.

"The others said the exact same as you." Naruto's eyes widened, and shot up, visibly wincing.

"Sensei, what happened to Shino? Kiba? Hinata!"

"Shh!" Kakashi hissed slightly, pushing the blonde back down. "They're fine." He continued after a moment, his eyes darting to the side slightly.

"What aren't you telling me? Sensei, tell me!-"

"Naruto, shut up." The blonde stopped speaking, almost unwillingly thanks to Kakashi's tone.

"Hinata… She's beaten pretty badly. Lost a lot of blood." Naruto's eyes widened once again, and before he could leap up Kakashi put his firm hand on the blonde's chest. "Don't even think about it."

"Will she make it?" it was almost like a whisper, and behind his mask Kakashi smirked slightly. Finally, the idiot was getting it. Thank god.

"Yes, she'll be fine, she just needs rest." Naruto's tense figure loosened up.

"What about me?"

"You'll be out very shortly. After I finish talking with you, the nurse will come and check on you, and then you'll be free to go and visit the others. Your injuries were not very severe. You had a cracked rib, and some cuts, but that was about it. And before you ask about the others," Kakashi cut in as Naruto opened his mouth for the umpteenth time. "Kiba's got a few broken ribs, cuts and a numerous bruises, but he should be fine. Shino however, was caught by some sort of jutsu. It ripped through his shoulder. He also has numerous gashes and bruises, and his arm and shoulder are in a sling. But they'll all live. Sasuke too."

"Sasuke? He wasn't there!"

Kakashi sighed again as Naruto continued to shout. "Well he must have come later on, while you were unconscious. He suffered a severe concussion, but he'll be fine."

Naruto nodded. "When can I see them?"

Kakashi smiled. "I believe Kiba and Shino are waiting outside. But, there is more we must discuss."

From the serious look in Kakashi's eye, Naruto knew he meant business. He gulped slightly.

"This ninja, was he alone?"

Naruto nodded. "He didn't have anyone else with him? Nobody, not a sack or anything?"

Naruto once again shook his head. Kakashi kept his face even. "Naruto… Sakura… she's been kidnapped."

The blonde tensed up. Kakashi watched as the blondes mouth curled into a feral snarl. "I'll kill him!" he roared.

"We have reason to believe, that your old teacher Mizuki led an escape from a local Shinobi prison, and escaped with some lightning ninja. They took Sakura."

"Mizuki!" Naruto roared, the faint glimmer of orange chakra beginning to swell around the teen, his snarl deepening.

Kakashi put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Naruto, calm down. We'll find her, don't worry. I was heading on a mission to the town of Orochiasu. It is a coincidence that the lightning ninja were last seen heading in that direction."

"I'm coming." Naruto snapped as the orange chakra and his feral tendency began to disappear. Kakashi smiled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Kiba tapped his foot impatiently against the hospital floor. Akamaru nuzzled his neck, letting out a yip. The dog nin was currently sitting on a rather uncomfortable hospital chair, waiting to see Naruto. The brunette let out a sigh of irritation as he strained his neck backwards, trying to get a clear view of the blonde boy. He was waving his arms about animatedly, probably describing and over exaggerating the whole thing, not saying what it really was. A royal ass kicking.

Kiba turned his head sideways slightly, and Shino did so to. The bug nin had his left arm in a sling that covered not only his arm but the formerly gaping hole in his shoulder. But more or less they were both fine. Well, physically anyway.

Shino had been acting odder than usual. It had only been maybe 12 hours since the fight with Joukei, so maybe he was feeling the strain and disappointment of not being able to defeat the lightning ninja. Apparently Sasuke had managed to drive the bastard off, which irked the dog nin to no end. But, there was nothing he could do about it. But this wasn't about him, it was about Shino. He cast the bug nin a glance. He was giving a window a calculating stare. That was Shino, Baby Whisperer and all Windows' arch nemesis'

Kiba went to open his mouth, and shut it with a loud clack. This broke Shino's concentration, and the bug nin turned to face Kiba with an impassive look. The dog nin coughed awkwardly.

"So… uh, how are you holding up?"

Shino remained impassive, keeping his voice in a slow and steady monotone. "My arm aches," Was his response.

"Well, maybe they need to dose you up on stronger painkillers," Kiba joked. Shino didn't laugh.

The dog nin sighed, as Akamaru gave him a small normally unintelligible yip of encouragement. He steeled himself, and quickly said in one breath. "Shino-why-are-you-acting-weirder-than-usual?"

"What?"

Kiba took another deep breath. "I asked why you had been acting weirder than usual."

Shino's face, if only for a split second, broke into an anguished contort instead of his usual cool and calculating tone. "My father has passed away."

Kiba felt very reluctant at his teammates tone. He seemed so… sad. But, naturally, that was to be expected.

"I'm sorry," he managed to whisper after a few moments.

Shino began talking, not acknowledging his teammates pity. "The Kikaichȗ absorb the chakra of the host, gradually eating away. Eventually, the chakra weakens the more the Kikaichȗ eat it, and once you begin to age the edible chakra begins to run dry, until they are forced to feed on internal organs. The body's nervous system begins shut down. It's almost instantaneous. You die quickly. There is no pain, it is like fainting. The longest anybody from my clan has lived too was 42. My father was 37."

Kiba's mouth was agape. "You mean you'll die…" he trailed off slightly.

Shino nodded glumly. "Yes. My mother is distraught."

"And how are you coping?"

"I'm not." The answer caused Kiba recoil in shock and he felt Akamaru shiver, Shino, the boy who was never affected by anything. He was never happy, sad, angry, sarcastic, charming. He was intelligent and blunt. And yet, he looked like a wreck, if only for a few seconds.

"I am sorry." Shino announced taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. Kiba's eyes widened. Brown. Shino's eyes were brown. Just like his. They looked worn, tired and battle worn, like they were too old for a boy of 15. The probably were. And, they were slightly red and a little puffy.

Kiba put his hand sympathetically on his friends shoulder, feeling the cold hard fabric of his friend's trench coat against his fingers. "Shino, I am so, so sorry."

Shino nodded. "Thank you."

For the first time in Kiba's life, he had seen a flicker of emotion from Shino. One tiny flicker that indicated he was a normal teen, that he grieved and felt. And, Kiba never wanted to see the look in his eyes again. Ever.

* * *

Naruto finished his story with "And then, it all went dark!"

Kakashi couldn't help but smile. He must have got his excellent talent for telling stories from his godfather.

"Okay then. Shino and Kiba are waiting to see you." The copy nin stood up and nodded. "We're leaving in two days. Meet me by the gates at twelve o'clock." The blonde nodded.

"And Naruto. If you have anybody that you would like to come with you on this mission, you better ask them now. No promises, but we could also use an extra hand. Gai-sensei and Lee are coming."

"What bushy brow?" Kakashi sighed at Naruto's affectionate pet nickname for the self-proclaimed clone of Green Beast of Konoha.

"Yes. He has requested to come. Believe me; we tried to talk him out of it. He's almost as stubborn as you."

Before the blonde could retort at the comment about his stubbornness, Kakashi had opened the door and poked his head out. He was met by three heads snapping in his direction, two belonging to humans and one belonging to a dog. "You can see Naruto now." He announced as he stepped outside, causally waving to Naruto. Kiba nodded to Shino and stood up, and Kakashi brushed past them. On the outside, he was still his usual laid back self, but on the inside, he felt horrible about lying to his students. As bad as it sounded, Sakura's kidnapping was a major stroke of luck. It was in the vicinity of where Itachi Uchiha was now currently staying in, according to the amulet. He figured out how it worked last night. He used his Sharingan on the amulet and it activated, showing him a dark red dot on a black and white landscape. It originated from the village of Orochiasu. Right where Sakura was headed. He would find Sakura. He wouldn't let his students down. Sasuke was already heading down the path of vengeance, he couldn't lose Sakura to. He refused.

But the question remained, why was Itachi in the area? Did he have something to do with kidnapping Sakura, or was he merely passing through? Either way, he would need to move quickly. Gai and Lee were already looking for people to accompany them. Hopefully all of Gai's team could make it. That left Shikamaru. So, with his plan of action decided, Kakashi headed down the flight of stairs, eager to find the lazy genin and his squad.

* * *

Troublesome. That was Shikamaru Nara's favourite word. And, today was mighty troublesome. The lazy genin groaned internally as he did his 49th push up. One more to go. With a heave, he completed his last push up and collapsed to the ground with an almighty thud.

From behind him, a female could be heard sighing. "Come on Shikamaru! Do some more."

Shikamaru groaned out loud this time, earning an illicit nagging fit from Ino. Choji had once again fallen ill with food poisoning, and Asuma sensei was visiting him. And he had asked Ino to make sure he did his regular exercise regime. Ino was making him do more. The blonde bombshell flipped her long ponytail and kicked Shikamaru in the butt. "Come on, do ten more!" she commanded. Shikamaru muttered under his breath about 'troublesome women' but complied. After he finished the ten extra push ups, Ino smiled brightly. "Excellent!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, flipping onto his back with a thud. At least he could cloud watch. That was until Ino loomed over him. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I was cloud watching."

Ino put her hand on her hip. "Okay, is that it?"

Shikamaru gave a tired nod, yawning slightly. "And I might take a nap…"

"No, you won't." Shikamaru groaned. Today was not his day.

"Can we go for a walk?" Ino asked- well no, more like commanded. Shikamaru rubbed his temples, but stood up.

"If we must." There was a squeal of thanks from Ino, and she proceeded to smile brightly as they walked out of the training fields and onto a small path that led through the forest. The leaves blocked most of the light, yet some streams managed to break through, and one landed on Ino's pale complexion. She looked deep in thought, and yet had the most beautiful smile plastered on her face. Shikamaru stared for a moment, before he shook his head. Troublesome women.

Shikamaru was having a problem. He had a crush on Ino. And he didn't know why. It wasn't just her looks, even though they contributed heavily. She was stunning with her long blonde hair and light blue eyes. But, it was something more. And Shikamaru couldn't put his finger on it. Ino annoyed him to no end, always ordering him about and being bossy and loud and rude. Although she didn't obsess over Sasuke now. Well, openly anyway. But, she was annoying. The most troublesome women in his life next to his mother. And she just wouldn't get out of his head. Ino I mean, not his mother. That would just be- never mind.

The lazy genius smiled slightly as he heard Ino drawl on about something that he really didn't care about. It was always nice and annoying when she was bubbly.

"Hey, are you listening?" the blonde asked him. He nodded. "Good, 'cause I wanted to ask you something."

Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed slightly. The way she said that, almost like a whisper. It was curious. "Go on."

Ino smiled uncertainly. "D-do you think I should see if Sasuke would like-"

Shikamaru cut her off. "No." he snapped angrily. Great, there goes his happy/annoyed mood into a snappy/angry mood. Fantastic.

Ino scowled. "Sorry."

The lazy genin only grunted. "Do you have a problem with that? Ino asked after a few moments. Shikamaru tensed slightly but shook his head.

"What you do in your free time with the Uchiha is up to you." It was accusing, defensive. Ino couldn't wrap her head around it.

"No need to be so hostile. It was just a question."

"Yeah well, I'm not the right person to ask. Go ask someone else."

"What the hell is your problem," Ino snapped grounding to a halt. Shikamaru continued walking ahead slightly before he stopped and inclined his head backwards. Taking that as confirmation to continue speaking, Ino yelled. "Why does it matter to you what I do with Sasuke?"

"You're the one that asked the question!"

"I wanted an answer from a friend, not some asshole!"

As their voices escalated, they both realised this was getting out of hand, and that they should apologize to one another. But they didn't.

"Listen Ino, I don't care what you do with that bastard, just keep me out of it. And besides, it not as if it will go anywhere."

Ino scowled, taking an intimidating step forward. "And how do you know," she snarled. "It could, remind me never to ask you anything again you petty asshole."

"I know because he has never liked you, and never will! I like and care about you Ino, he doesn't!"

The world seemed to freeze around Ino. Did… he just say he liked her. Her heart started to race faster and faster. She cast a wary glance towards a downtrodden Shikamaru. "Wh-what did you say?"

Shikamaru sighed. "I said-"

"Yo." A voice interrupted Shikamaru's speech. Both genin looked up and noticed Kakashi sitting lazily in a tree, Icha Icha in hand.

Shikamaru sighed. "How long have you been up there?" he asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "Not long, about 30 seconds or so. I'm not interrupting anything am I?" he cast a glance at Ino, who was looking at the ground blushing, and at a miffed Shikamaru.

"No." he announced. Kakashi nodded warily.

"Okay, well, I need you." He gestured to the lazy genius. "To meet up at the Hokage tower in about an hour for a mission."

"What type of mission?" It looked like Shikamaru wanted to get straight to the point. And that was fine with Kakashi.

"A rescue mission."

"For who?" Ino asked shooting Shikamaru an annoyed glare. He just kept his eyes focused on Kakashi.

"Sakura Haruno."

Ino froze up for the second time today. "What?" she said like a whisper.

"She was kidnapped by some lightning ninja. I'm launching a rescue operation. We need Shikamaru."

The lazy genin nodded. "Right, I'll-"

"We'll meet you there."

Shikamaru turned to Ino and glared. "Me."

"Us."

"No, me."

"Us."

"Me-"

"You can both come," Kakashi cut in, sighing. He really wasn't in the mood to break up a genin brawl. "Just meet me in the tower in an hour. We will be leaving tomorrow."

And with that, he leapt away into the trees.

"Now, where were we…?" Ino trailed off as Shikamaru muttered a 'see you later' and bolted. She sighed, and for the second time this week tears welled up in her eyes. How could a good day like this turn so bad. Easily, it seems.

* * *

As Naruto finished describing and explaining what Kakashi had told him, with Kiba and Shino listening and nodding intently, Kiba let out an uneasy laugh. "Don't worry Naruto, we'll kick Mizuki's ass and bring Sakura home!"

Shino merely nodded. Naruto beamed.

"Thanks guys!" he exclaimed. "We're supposed to meet up at the Hokage Tower in about-" he cut off as he looked at the clock. "Crap! We have 15 minutes to get there!"

As a nurse walked in, and said, "Well Mr Uzumaki, how are you-"

"Yeah I'm fine bye!" he yelled in one breath, bolting out of the door and down the hallway. The nurse turned and looked at Shino and Kiba curiously. The dog nin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry about him."

The nurse only nodded, mildly amused. "Very well, will you tell Mr Uzumaki that he can leave now, but not put too much strain on his ribs. Okay?"

Kiba nodded, and the nurse smiled and left. There was an awkward silence in the room.

"Come. We will be needed at the meeting shortly." Shino got up briskly, not sparing a glance in his teammate's direction, and walked out of the room and down the hallway. Kiba and Akamaru's eyes followed him until he disappeared behind a wall. The human member of the duo sighed. "Why is everything so complicated?" he asked his faithful hound. The dog merely gave a bark of comfort.

"Thanks Akamaru," he rubbed the dog's hair, before standing up. "Anyway, we best catch up to Shino."

And with that, the boy exited Naruto's little hospital room and, using his nose, tracked down Shino as he was leaving the hospital.

* * *

After breaking down a door (Literally) Naruto had finally found his signature orange jumpsuit, and had swiftly put it on. As he admired himself in one of the hallway windows, he heard a familiar quiet and high voice. "I'm s-sorry father; it won't hap-happen again."

Naruto's ears pricked up in interest, and he followed the sound of the voice. After walking for a few moments he came across a large hospital door. Hearing a louder voice, he briskly pushed opened the door and continued forward. He came across a rather large room, and as he peeked through the blinds he saw a familiar lavender eyed teenager. She looked relatively well, apart from a large gash that ran down her arm, and several bandages that could just be seen poking out from under her hospital gown. Not that he was looking, of course. Also inside the room were four Hyȗga's. Two lent lazily against the wall, not distinguishable from the rest of the Hyȗga's. The man standing at the foot of Hinata's bed, however, was instantly recognizable. He stood tall and proud, with his long black hair and his cold icy eyes. His mouth was curled into a snarl. "I expect more from the heir to the most prestigious clan in Konoha, you are a disappointment."

Hinata downcasted her eyes, knowing better to say something back to her livid father. Beside her, sat a girl no older than seven, who placed her pale hand sympathetically on her big sisters shoulder. "Hanabi!" Hiashi almost spat. "Refrain from touching… that."

Naruto's hands curled into fists. How dare he!

Hanabi begrudgingly did as her father asked, although her gaze was now downtrodden. Hiashi returned to scowling instead of snarling. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I-I'm so-sorry father-"

"Sorry? That you've said that before. I will take my leave of you now." He spat. The two branch members moved from their positions and held open the door as Hiashi and Hanabi walked out. The young girl shot her sister a sympathetic look, and her elder sister gave a weak smile back. One of the branch members pushed her forward slightly, and Hanabi scowled, but complied.

Naruto was leaning against a wall, trying to look inconspicuous. Well, as inconspicuous as you can be when you're wearing a bright orange jumpsuit and have bright blonde hair. Hiashi shot him a glare as he walked by, flanked by the two Hyȗga branch members. He shot a scathing one back. Hanabi trailed behind her father, her eyes downcast. As she passed Naruto their eyes met, and a silent conversation was had.

'Look after my sister.'

'I will.'

She smiled weakly, but continued on her way with her father. After Naruto was sure the Hyȗga's were gone, he discreetly walked over and opened the door slightly, peeking in. And by discreetly, I mean he tripped over his own feet and fell through the door, landing on his face with an almighty splat.

Hinata was wiping her puffy red eyes with her sleeves as he fell in, and she let out a shocked meep. Before she realised who it was, and a dark red blush graced her cheeks.

"Na-Naruto?" she said shakily. Although anyone with a pair of eyes could see the orange jumpsuit from a mile off. And Hinata had a good pair of eyes.

He smiled sheepishly as he rose up from the ground. "Sorry 'bout that."

Hinata, despite her state, couldn't help but let out a small giggle. Naruto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "So… um, how are you?"

Hinata became once again crestfallen, much to Naruto's dismay. "I'm fine," she lied.

"Bullcrap."

The blonde went and sat down where Hanabi had sat not moments ago. Hinata's blush burned even harder as she turned away.

"Look… I'm not good with words or feelings. Especially words. But there are two feelings I know very well. Sadness and willpower."

Hinata turned her gaze to look at Naruto. "Your fathers an asshole." He announced. Hinata couldn't help herself as she cracked a small smile. "He's the biggest jerk I've ever seen. He shouldn't talk to his daughters as though there pieces of trash!" Naruto, for the first time in his life, managed to stop himself from going on a loud rant. "Lo-look, whatever he says, he's just as blind as the rest of those douches that reside in Konoha," he somewhat growled.

Hinata cocked her head to the side curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

Naruto blushed slightly, realising his mistake, and shook his head vigorously. "It doesn't matter. The point is, you're much better than your father. He's just a petty stuck up bastard. You have your sister; you have Shino, Kiba, Kurenai-sensei, and you have me." He finished with a genuinely heart-warming smile. Hinata couldn't help but to smile back just as brightly. Naruto was wrong about one thing though.

He was really good with words.

* * *

The sound of panting and clanging could be heard all around training field 16. Two people, both of them teammates, stood opposite each other, panting heavily. The first was a male, with pale white eyes and long brownish hair. The other had brunette hair, with two bobbles on her head. She had light brown eyes.

"So, shall we continue?" Tenten asked. Neji shook his head.

"No, we shall rest."

The brunette nodded, and stretched, before collapsing on the ground in a heap. Neji smirked slightly.

Tenten stared up at the sky, her mind ablaze with thoughts about how she could improve her training with weapons and new techniques and-

"Yosh! It seems my most wondrous students have been doing some youthful sparring!" a voice boomed. Tenten inclined her head backwards to see two green men, one walking and another hobbling towards her. She smiled brightly.

"Lee!" she called out rising to her feet, giving her teammate a bright smile. Lee smiled back, albeit with a hint of a blush on his cheeks.

Neji said nothing, just politely inclined his head in his sensei's and teammates general direction.

"So, how are my most youthful students doing on this fine day!" Gai asked. Tenten shrugged.

"Okay sensei, we were just sparring."

"Yosh!" there was another eardrum exploding yell. Tenten tapped her head to get feeling back in her ear.

Lee however, was being unnaturally quiet. He just smiled weakly in Tenten's general direction.

Gai didn't notice his students forlorn look, and began spouting off about his youthful skincare products, but Tenten didn't care. She was more focused on Lee.

She slowly sidled over towards the bushy browed teen and discreetly whispered. "You okay?"

He just nodded, fixing her with another weak smile. "It is nothing Tenten," he said moving his bandaged arm up and down, examining it with a forlorn face. "It is just..."

Tenten nodded, sadness overtaking her. "I'm so sorry Lee," she whispered, and embraced the injured genin. He blushed bright red like Hinata, his face contorting into a giddy smile.

"I have never been hugged by a girl before." He let out a girly giggle at the thought. This attracted Gai's attention, and when he turned to see his only female student embracing the boy he thought of as a son, his eyes went wide, and filled with tears of joy.

"Yosh! My most youthful students have finally gotten together!" he wailed, collapsing to his knees amongst a fit of tears. "They make me so proud!"

Tenten immediately broke away from Lee, shooting Gai a glare, but a light pink blush dusting her cheeks. "Sensei, shut up."

"Yosh! I can understand you want privacy Tenten, I promise Lee will be a good husband!"

Tenten looked at him incredously. "Just because I hugged him doesn't mean I'm getting married to him!" she snapped.

Gai's eyes brimmed with more tears. "You are taking it slow? Truly you are the most youthful couple I have ever experienced!" he fell on his face, wailing at the top of his lungs.

Neji, while all this was going on was giving both his teammates scathing looks. This would be annoying.

"Tenten," he barked, earning her attention. "We shall continue training."

Lee, who was still stuck in a gaze, snapped out of it and frowned in Neji's direction. Tenten, however gave a small smile. "In a minute Neji."

He grumbled something under his breath. She turned to face him again. "What was that Neji?" she inquired her eyebrow raised.

"Nothing." He announced.

She just shook her head. "Anyway," she turned to face Lee, who had more or less composed himself. "I am sorry I haven't visited you in hospital recently Lee, I have been busy training with Neji."

Lee frowned slightly. "Yes, I guessed."

Tenten frowned at his sudden change in disposition, but his smile quickly brightened.

"Yosh my most faithful teammates, we require your aid!"

Gai (Finally) stopped his wailing and stood upwards, wiping away the tears. "Yes, Lee is correct. We must undertake a mission."

"I cannot."

Neji's voice cut through the slightly amused atmosphere like a hot knife through butter.

"Neji," Tenten began, "You could at least hear what it is."

The Hyȗga shook his head. "I have training all week with Lord Hiashi."

Tenten frowned in annoyance, and went to say something more, but Gai cut her off. "This mission is a rescue mission, to retrieve one of our own, a genin by the name of Sakura Haruno."

Tenten nodded. She had made small talk with Sakura over numerous occasions, and she was a genuinely nice person, when she wasn't fawning over Sasuke. She was already in.

"She has been kidnapped by the traitor Mizuki and a band of lightning ninja. They were last seen heading to the town of Orochiasu. You may have heard of it. It possesses one of the largest marketplaces in the Land of Fire. Tenten nodded once again. She had been to this town on numerous occasions with her mother, gathering supplies for her family's duel weapon shop/blacksmithy.

"We are heading out tomorrow, but we have a meeting in approximately ten minutes. Lee and I are going."

Tenten cocked her head to the side. "But Lee- Gai-sensei, this could be a dangerous mission! And In Lee's state-"

"I understand your concern Tenten," Konoha's green beast cut her off, "But Lee has agreed to undertake useful duties within the camps, and will not be allowed to participate in any fighting or sparring."

Gai shot Lee a serious look, and the bushy browed teen nodded glumly.

"Now, let us be off. We must be at the Hokage tower shortly."

Lee, Tenten and Gai began to walk (For Lee hobble) off, but as they reached the edge of the forest, they noticed that a certain icy eyed teen wasn't with them. "Neji, come on!" Tenten called back to her teammate, who stood throwing kunai at a training dummy.

"No." was his cold answer.

Tenten blinked. "I'm sorry, what!" she said taking a step forward. "I didn't hear you right. Could you- it doesn't matter, we can discuss it on the way to the Hokage tower." Tenten went to step into the forest again. Neji didn't follow.

Tenten whirled around again, this time her face a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "Come on Neji, hurry up! We haven't got all day."

"I told you I was not coming. I have training with Lord Hiashi."

Tenten scowled. "And? Surely you can cancel it. We'll pop by the Hyȗga compound as soon as the meeting is finished, now come on!" her voice was raising slightly, as was her annoyance.

Lee and Gai shared a disappointed look.

Neji shook his head vigorously. "Gai-sensei, you did say that this mission was optional yes?"

Gai nodded. "Good, then I shall not attend."

Tenten's face was now very annoyed. "Neji, this is not funny. Now come on!" she shouted in frustration.

"I do not know, nor care for this Sakura Haruno girl. I shall stay and train."

Tenten opened her mouth, and then closed it again. She was in utter disbelief. "You-I-No!" she suddenly shouted. "Don't lay this crap on me now Neji! Now let's get-"

"Tenten," he snapped. "How many times do I need to say it? I am not coming with you."

Tenten scowled angrily. "How dare you! You think because you don't know this girl that she's pointless? That she doesn't matter!" he voice was rising to dangerous levels. "You're unbelievable! I have helped you train for months, we're supposed to be shinobi, we're supposed to help people, we're- Ah!" she threw her hands up in frustration. "You disgust me!" and with that she disappeared into the forest.

Gai looked from Tenten's retreating figure to Neji's, deep scowl etching his face. "Neji!" he boomed, causing the Hyȗga to meet his steel bending gaze. "I did say that this mission was optional, but I did not expect you to refuse it. My old rival Kakashi once said 'People who don't complete their mission are scum, but people who refuse to help their comrades are even bigger scum.' Remember that Neji. I am severely disappointed in you."

He turned his heated gaze away from Neji and tugged Lee along, who shot Neji a disapproving look. Finally, he called back just as he was disappearing from view. "Sakura is Naruto's teammate. Has he taught you nothing?" He disappeared into the forest without another word.

Neji contemplated this information, his thoughts drifting towards going to help the mission. They were soon banished however. No, he had to focus on earning Lord Hiashi's respect. Was that worth losing the respect of your teammates? Neji thought so.

**WOOOO! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. This, in my opinion, is one of my favourite chapters. I just love all the character interactions. But did you? Leave a review telling me what you think! Also, a couple notes I want to address.**

**I don't think I was clear enough when mentioning Fenris and Dragon Age. This is not a Dragon Age crossover, rather I have taken a character that I really enjoy and placed him in the Narutoverse. So, technically he is not from Dragon Age, and no other things from Dragon Age will be appearing. It's like those Naruto high school fics. All the characters act the same, but they don't have the Jutsus and the like. Obviously, circumstances have changed somewhat for each character, but their basic ideals and mannerisms remain the same. This is the same for Fenris. He is completely different in terms of ability's and moves from the Dragon Age fandom. He is not from another world or dimension. Just in case I didn't make that clear.**

**Also, updates will be coming out a bit less regularly, only a day or so later, simply because I have almost reached my backlog of chapters, so I need to write more! So, the next chapter should come out about Thursday or Friday, give or take. Anyway, thanks for reading, make sure to review and check out my other story, Vipers Path, and have a great day/morning/afternoon/evening.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright everybody, and welcome to the eight chapter of the Winds of Change! This is a rather short chapter, only about 2500 words, and for that I apologize. The next one is far longer. If you have also read Viper's Path, another chapter of that will be coming during the weekend. And, I'll try to get another one-shot out for Thou One-Shots. Probably another ItaSaku. So, check that out, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I'm tired, so bite a duck. That is all.**

Chapter 8: Planning Prep

For the first time in a long time, Kakashi was there first. He leaned back against the wall, resting his head and closing his eyes. He really shouldn't have stayed with Naruto all night. Well, should he have? He didn't know. But still, he was tired. He yawned slightly, reaching into his pocket to pull out his Icha Icha book instinctively. Even though he wasn't going to read it, it made him feel more comfortable.

As he lay against the wall, his book that he for once was not reading in his hand, Kakashi thought. Mainly, about his team. One held a demon inside of him, was loud and obnoxious, and just seemed to appeal to everyone that met him. Damn him and his stupid annoying charm. Then there was the silent victim, constantly focusing on his quest to kill his brother. It worried Kakashi that he still hadn't let that go. He could understand, of course, but revenge was never the answer. He knew that for a fact. And then you had the pink bubblegum princess, who was now residing in a prison cell somewhere most likely. She was kidnapped, right under everybody's noses, and they slipped out without anybody knowing? Even with the extra security? Then again, Kakashi thought, he really should have gone with her. Or, should he have? After all, there was no point in escorting someone to find someone to train with. Maybe if he had relented, and just went on missions…

There was a loud crash, and it sounded as if someone had burst through the door downstairs. Kakashi didn't react. If he knew that type of sound, which he was highly accustomed too, then it could be one of two things. Gai was here, or Gai was here.

"Yosh! Lee, I am impressed! You came third!" Gai's booming voice travelled up through the floor and right into Kakashi's eardrums. He sounded like a lawnmower mixed with a chainsaw mixed with a megaphone. Kakashi winced slightly as the 'Gai Clone' continued.

"Yosh! I thank you Gai-sensei, but I do not understand, how did I come third!"

"Well-" the voices were getting closer now, and soon his peace would be interrupted. Five, four, three, two, one…

The door flung open, revealing a beaming Gai, a equally beaming Lee, and a dishevelled and tired Tenten, who was currently residing on Gai's back.

"If it isn't my most youthful rival Kakashi!" Yep, the voice was definitely worse up close. Much worse.

"Yo," was the copy nin's standard greeting. Gai winced slightly.

"Gah! Damn you Kakashi and your hip coolness!"

Tenten rolled her eyes, but she soon let out a scream of surprise as Gai got into his nice guy pose, his bright smile probably giving more light off then the sun. and there were no lights in the room.

"As I was saying Lee," Gai began still beaming like a crazy lunatic. "You see, I came first, but your most youthful teammate Tenten came second!"

Gai turned around to expect Tenten on his back, but saw her on the floor instead, rubbing the back of her head. Gai beamed once again. "Yosh! You are all ready for youthful exercises, and after a hard long run! Yosh! You are truly an inspiration to the powers of youth!"

Tenten sweat dropped and rose slightly, giving a slight wave to Kakashi, who gave her a polite wave and a sympathetic smile.

Meanwhile, Lee's eyes filled to the brim with tears. "Gai-sensei," he managed to croak out. "I have failed you! But I shall become stronger. I will do one thousand one handed pushups, and if I cannot do that I will run around Konoha's perimeter 40 times!"

"That's the spirit Lee!" Gai yelled, his eyes filling with tears of joy.

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"LEE!"

"Gai-sensei!"

The two then embraced passionately, tears of joy cascading down their faces. Kakashi and Tenten sweatdropped. Eventually they pulled away, and Kakashi let out a sigh of relief. But that quickly ended.

"Yosh! My eternal rival, shall we get this most youthful meeting underway to steal back your student from the jaws of defeat!"

The copy nin had decided. He should have never invited Gai.

"Okay," Kakashi said shaking his head a little as he leaned back against the wall. "Take a seat or stand, doesn't matter which."

Tenten nodded and took a seat, while Lee took the seat next to her. However, Gai just frowned slightly, before his booming voice deafened everybody once again. "Kakashi, you think you can best me!" Gai leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "I shall best you in this manner most befitting. I challenge you to a battle of endurance. Whoever stays leant against the wall wins! Do you agree!"

Kakashi cocked his head to the side slightly. "Sorry Gai, did you say something?"

Gai's eyes became wide and his face became downcast. "Damn that Kakashi!" he thought "With his hip and cool ways!"

"Ahem."

Someone briskly knocked on the door, and stepped in. Kakashi gave her as warm a smile as he could muster. "Ino? Come in and take a seat."

The blonde surveyed the room. Great, Shikamaru wasn't there. That made things slightly easier. The circle of chairs made it easy to pick a spot. Since she didn't know anybody here yet, she decided to take the seat opposite Tenten. The brunette shot her a small smile, which she returned in kind. Rock Lee's smile, however, was blinding. He stood up on the chair, never mind his injuries, and exclaimed "Yosh! Who is this fair maiden! Is it someone to help us return the lovely Sakura back to the village! How glorious! I am Konoha's Green Beast: Rock-"

He was swiftly cut off as Tenten whacked on his uninjured leg. The result jarred the bushy browed teen and sent him backwards, falling over with a loud clunk.

Ino laughed. "Thanks for that," she said smiling at the brunette girl. She waved her off.

"No problem. Say, I think we met in the forest of death. I'm Tenten. Ino was it?"

Ino nodded, extending her hand. As Tenten did the same, she added. "It's a pleasure to meet another kunochi besides Sakura and Hinata." They shook hands and exchanged warm smiles.

"Troublesome."

Ino snapped her head around to see Shikamaru leaning against the door frame, doing anything in his power to not look at the blonde bombshell. He wasn't succeeded, as his eyes flickered over. She scowled and crossed her arms, giving a loud huff and turning away. The lazy genin muttered something about 'troublesome women' and walked into the room without an invitation. He took a seat as far away from everyone as possible, spilt down the middle between Tenten and Ino. Said brunette looked from the lazy genin to the blonde bombshell. This intrigued her, but she was interrupted as Lee stood up from his injury, ready to shout his introduction to Shikamaru, but he was quickly yanked down.

"Lee," she hissed. "you don't need to introduce yourself to everyone."

"But you do," the bushy browed genin argued, and she scowled.

"I don't shout!"

"I heard you down the hallway," Shikamaru interrupted gesturing to Lee, who beamed.

"Then you know I am the Green Beast of Konoha: Rock Lee-"

"Oi bushy brow, shut up!"

Everyone turned to see Naruto, with a shy and pale Hinata standing behind him. Kakashi, who had been watching the whole altercation with the other genin scowled when he noticed the Hyȗga heiress. "Naruto, Hinata is supposed to be resting, what is she doing here?

Naruto smiled. "Sensei, Hinata wants to come. So I carried her here, even though she said not too. She will help find Sakura; believe it!"

Kakashi peered round the orange clad boy to see the shy Hyȗga heiress blushing at Naruto's loudness, but she quickly nodded to affirm his point.

Kakashi shot his blonde student another glare, before gesturing them to sit down. Hinata sat down next to Lee, and Naruto sat opposite her. Once again, Lee tried to introduce himself.

"Hello my fair maiden! You are related to one of my eternal rivals yes? Wondrous! I am Kono-"

He didn't get very far as the combined offense of Tenten and Ino, the blonde punching him in the crotch and the brunette hitting the back of his good leg. He once again collapsed backwards.

"Lee!" Gai's voice boomed as he rushed to his student's side, trying to shake him from his stupor. Shikamaru sighed. This mission was going to be troublesome. He cast a glance at Ino, who had now sat back down and was casting a glance at him. They both shot each other a glare and turned away quickly.

Hinata was looking quite appalled at the outburst of the two girls, her pale eyes wide with shock. The blonde next to her however, was rocking on the floor holding his chest and trying to stop laughing.

Hinata did have to admit, it was a bit funny, and she let out a small giggle.

She then felt a hand on her shoulder. "That's the spirit Hinata!" Naruto yelled, earning a sharp glare from Ino. He rubbed his head sheepishly and smiled a foxy grin. Hinata blushed at the contact that she was getting from her crush, and she was relieved and saddened when he withdrew to sit back down, still wiping the tears in his eyes.

As Lee finally woke up and embraced Gai in a crushing hug, Kiba and Shino walked in. They surveyed the area. "Well, bye!" Kiba announced and went to walk out, when Shino rested his hand on his teammates shoulder. With a sigh, Kiba muttered a greeting and plopped down next to Naruto, with Shino sitting opposite him, right next to Shikamaru.

As Lee spotted yet more people to introduce himself too, Tenten shot him a withering glare and withdrew a kunai from her pouch. He gulped, but hobbled back towards his seat and sat down with a dejected plop.

Kakashi rubbed his hands together, and walked over to just outside the small circle of genin. "Okay, now that we're all here, let us begin-"

"Hn."

Naruto swung around and smiled brightly. "Sasuke!"

Said raven haired boy leant against the doorframe, a hand on his bandaged head. "Sasuke, you didn't need to come." Kakashi said.

"I wanted to," Sasuke retorted, wincing slightly at the pain. He walked as fast as he could with a concussion and took the only seat available. Between Ino and Tenten.

The blonde shot a glare at Shikamaru, before she put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, leaned in, and purred. "So, what do wanna do after we get Sakura back?"

Shikamaru clenched his hands and teeth unconsciously. Ino smirked when she saw this, but that quickly dissipated after she was pushed away with a growl from the Uchiha.

Shikamaru couldn't help but smirk.

"Right, can we begin now?" Kakashi asked, waiting for an interruption. And when none came, he continued. "So, I presume all of you know the main reason why we're here? Sakura Haruno, my student has been kidnapped." There were murmurs of acknowledgement. "Well," the copy nin began rubbing his hands together. "I will give you the mission brief."

Naruto leapt up, and pointed an annoyed finger in the copy nin's face. "Sensei, why bother planning? We need to hurry up and go!"

Ino facepalmed. "Naruto," Shikamaru began to explain. "If we finish the plan, we can get going."

"Well, that'll take-"

A mug that was sat on the table connected with the blondes head. "Hey Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. The Uchiha smirked. "You bastard!" he yelled once again. Tenten facepalmed.

"Okay guys, settle down. The sooner we get this down the sooner we can leave." Kakashi tried to interfere. Both boys nodded.

With a sigh, Kakashi began to explain the backstory to the mission.

* * *

"And so, to review. Sakura was taken in the woods surrounding training field 13, 14, 15 and 16. We have reason to believe that the ninja that kidnapped her were heading to the town of Orochiasu, which hosts one of the biggest markets In the Land of Fire. You all get that?"

Everyone nodded eagerly, earning a smile from Kakashi. "Excellent. Now, we shall get on with the strategy." All of the genin turned to Shikamaru on instinct. The lazy genin sighed.

"So troublesome," he muttered, but closed his eyes and got into a thinking position. After a few moments, his eyes flew open.

"You have a plan?" Kiba asked.

"Kiba, this is such a drag already. Please don't make this harder than it already is by interrupting me." Shikamaru sighed. He looked around the room, making sure nobody else would interrupt him. When nobody did, he continued."We shall travel in two different groups to reach the target. We will need a fast moving team to scout the area and the perimeter of the town, while a larger group will head into town and scout out that area. The scouts will send one of their men to rendezvous with one of the other groups men and swap information. When we gather enough, we strike." The lazy genin drove his fist into his hand for effect.

Kakashi gave a sly smile. The copy nin, while being the highest ranking member of the small group, allowed a genin to take control. He and Gai shared a smile and a knowing look. Out of all the candidates for promotion to Chunnin, Shikamaru had the greatest chance. This mission would definitely determine that fact.

"So, who's going in what team?" Tenten asked.

Shikamaru paused for a moment, his eyes closed in concentration. Soon, they snapped open. "If I may, Kakashi-sensei, the brunette asked for his approval. The silver haired Jōnin nodded.

"Okay then. I suggest me; Shino, Ino and Kakashi-sensei take up the role of the scouts, excluding us from most if all combat. But of course, that is most probably not the case. The rest of you will be the group to enter the town-"

Of course, the lazy genin was expecting interruptions, but he wasn't expecting Ino to put her hand up. "I want to go with the group that's heading in the town."

Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, you would be better with me-"

"No, you are wrong. I am more useful with the other group. Take Kiba instead."

Kakashi had to admit, Ino was not suited for reconnaissance, in skills and personality. "I have to agree with her Shikamaru, it doesn't make sense." The lazy genin shot the copy nin a withering glare, which he responded with a small smirk.

"Fine, "he relented, "Kiba; you come with us. Ino, you can go with the others."

Ino smiled triumphantly.

Gai, who had been weirdly silent, stepped forward and went into his 'nice guy' pose. "My friends, this will be a most glorious battle for victory! We shall bring back the lady Sakura, and dispose of the evil heathens that dare threaten our very existence-"

This went on for about twenty minutes, Lee staring at his sensei adoringly, and everybody else either cringing or covering their ears.

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review if you enjoy!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everybody, and welcome to the ninth chapter of The Winds of Change! I am so sorry for the lack of updates. I've been very ill recently, and I still am. But, on the plus side, my summer holidays are coming up, and I get seven weeks off! Hopefully lots of writing and updating for you guys!**

**Also, there is a very important poll that all of you readers must look at on my profile. It depends on my fanfiction career, so if you don't vote, it could have dire consequences. That is all.**

**This isn't really a hugely important chapter. More character development, getting ready for the main arc. So, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 9: Onward

The air had a certain chill, like you had just fallen down onto a cold hard floor. The sky had a grey hue, as it had for most of today, although the clouds were darkening, signifying a storm. The wind was almost non-existent, only revealing itself once in a while, and even then it was only a light breeze.

Walking along in the Hyȗga district of Konoha, were two people. One was a pale beauty, while the other wore orange. It was Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyȗga. They had just come back from Kurenai's, gathering some spare clothes after Naruto 'kidnapped' her, so she wouldn't have to walk around in a hospital gown. The sheer thought of it sent a shiver down Hinata's spine.

"So Hinata, this is where you live?" the blonde questioned. She nodded. Naruto frowned slightly. There hadn't been much if any conversation between the two after the incident at the hospital, and if he was honest he didn't really want to take her back to her house. Not to her father.

Naruto didn't really know much about family, but he was sure that fathers didn't treat their daughters like that. Hinata, ever observant, noticed the small frown that marred the blondes face, and tentatively asked, "Na-Naruto, are you okay?"

Naruto gave a bright smile. His usual mask. "Yup! Just thinking about how we're going to save Sakura!"

Hinata, being the quiet girl she was, looked around to see if anybody had heard his outburst. If any of her clansman saw her with Naruto, well… Although, there wasn't many people about. No Hyȗga at all, just the occasional shopkeeper or civilian who paid no mind to the loud blonde next to her.

"Soooo, this is where you live?" he snapped her out of her thoughts.

Hinata nodded. "You as-asked that already."

Naruto smacked his forehead. "Sorry!" he exclaimed. "I'm not used to talking to people. I only ever really talk to Sasuke and Sakura any more. And that usually ends with me being punched or… yeah, I'm usually punched."

Hinata nodded again. "It's okay Na-Naruto. I'm not used to talking with people outside of my clan, apart from my team."

"Oh, how come?"

The Hyȗga shrugged. "My f-father doesn't really let me interact with anyone."

Naruto's face turned into a scowl. What did he say now? "Uh," he tried desperately to think of something to say to such a pretty gi- Wait, what?

"Nar-Naruto, can I ask you a question?" the pale heiress asked. He nodded. "Do yo-you- Did you have any family?"

The question seemed to jar the blonde slightly, and his shoulders sagged. "Not really," he muttered. "None that I can remember. The only family I have is my team and Iruka-sensei. And I will get my Sakura back! Believe it!"

Hinata giggled, glad to see he was still in good spirits after her question.

Soon, the pearly white walls of the Hyȗga compound came into view. But the duo walking together had not taken notice, to embroiled in their conversation. "So, do you have any other family besides your bas-father?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes," she said softly. "My little sister, Hanabi. She's seven now." She smiled softly, although it didn't reach her eyes. "She's… very special to my father."

Naruto growled. That stupid bastard! Treating one daughter better than the other was downright disgusting. Naruto suppressed the urge to tear the Hyȗga compound to bits, and was instead focused on the sheer sophistication of the building. It screamed honour and manners, with its perfectly tarnished white walls. And that was just the outside! Wow…" the blonde trailed off as he looked through the big iron gates. The inside was ten times better than the outside. From what Naruto could see, there were multiple smaller houses surrounding a huge house, all pristine and white. it still oozed pure sophistication, which Naruto didn't even think was possible.

"Hinata, your house is so big!" he exclaimed. She giggled.

"Th-thank you," was her reply. She walked over to the big iron gate, before turning to Naruto. "Naru-Naruto, could you tu-turn around please?" she asked.

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "A seal needs to be broken, and only a Hyȗga can do it."

Naruto nodded, and did as the pale girl requested. There was a loud click, and Hinata told him he could turn around. He did so, and the huge Iron Gate was now open. The pale Hyȗga blushed scarlet, her gaze meeting the ground. "Th-thank you for ever-everything Naruto," he whispered quietly. He beamed at her.

"It's no problem Hinata! See ya tomorrow." He called out, waving. She shyly waved back, and proceeded to walk inside when a small figure blocked her path. Naruto blinked. It was a younger version of Hinata, albeit with slightly shorter hair and smaller eyes, and smaller b- anyway, they looked almost identical.

"Hinata," the young girl bowed. Hinata smiled.

"Hanabi," she also bowed respectfully. The young girl smiled back at her sister, before turning her attention towards the blonde staring at them wide eyed.

"Who's that?" the tone of her voice was not one befitting of a Hyȗga, sounding stubborn and obnoxious. Well, obnoxious was a Hyȗga trait, but this sounded as Naruto had- still did. The blonde in questioned beamed.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm 'gonna be Hokage!" he yelled out. The petite girl looked at him, before she burst out laughing, clutching her sides in pain. And another thing to add to the weird list of things that had gone on today, A Hyȗga laughing. Most didn't think that was possible.

"Yo-you," she gasped, wiping away the tears. "Think you're going to be Hokage!" she laughed louder. "But-but, you're wearing orange!"

Naruto narrowed his eyebrows. "Hey! Orange is the best colour in the world!" he retorted. Hanabi snorted.

"Yeah right! Orange is the worst colour, only for idiots like you! Hinata, how do you know him?" she questioned her sister. She went to answer, but blushed. What could she say? They weren't exactly friend-

"She's my friend."

Hinata almost fainted, but refrained, although her cheeks couldn't possibly turn any redder if she tried.

"I am not an idiot!" the blonde snarled. Hanabi smirked confidently.

"No, you're just an buttocks."

Naruto blinked. "I'm a what?"

"A buttocks. A pathetic annoying buttocks!" Hanabi yelled getting annoyed.

Naruto cocked his eyebrow upwards. "What does that even mean?"

Hanabi's eye twitched. "You know? Touché, rump, butt," she whispered the last part like it was a sin to speak it.

Naruto broke into a wide grin. "You mean I'mma a, I'mma a… AHAHAHA!" now it was the blondes turn to laugh, falling on the ground clutching his side in side splitting agony.

"Yes, you're a buttocks!" she snarled.

Hinata had her head in her hands. Naruto leapt up and wiped away the tears. "You mean I'm an ass? You Hyȗga's use weird ass words."

Hanabi's other eye twitched. "The Hyȗga are the best clan in the world! Better than some orange wearing buttocks!"

Naruto laughed again at his newly discovered word, before he said. "At least I don't wear a dress."

Hanabi raised her eyebrow. "Well, I should hope not ya freak."

Naruto shook his head, smirking. "No, what I meant was at least if I had a clan I wouldn't make the boys wear dresses!" he burst out laughing again. Hanabi's forehead had a vein pulsate angrily.

"You- it's formal attire!"

"Dress."

"Formal attire!"

"Dress."

"Formal attire!."

"Dress."

"Formal attire!"

"Lady Hanabi," a cool voiced called from a tree. Everyone turned to see on one of the branches, none other than Neji Hyȗga. His cool calm face had an annoyed tone. "I would refrain from killing Naruto." He stepped down from his perch, and bowed to Hinata. She smiled politely and nodded.

Neji turned and scowled at Naruto. "It is bad for your health to upset the main family Naruto. Especially where Lord Hiashi is concerned. Leave."

Hanabi stuck her tongue out, and Naruto sneered at her, before waving Neji off. "I was going. See ya later Hinata. Neji. Bitch."

"What did you just call me! You-"Hanabi was dragged by the shoulders and dragged into the compound by Neji, kicking and screaming. Hinata smiled in Naruto's direction, and he smiled back just as eagerly.

"Goodnight, Naruto."

"Goodnight Hinata. Stay safe." And he turned around and walked away without another word.

Hinata stood there for a few moments. Did he just tell her to stay safe? Maybe, but Neji was calling her. After sending one last longing look in the blonde's direction, she headed into the place that she should think of as home. She didn't.

For a second, Naruto's thoughts once again crossed into if Hinata would be safe. He still wasn't sure why he cared so much. She wasn't on her team. And yet, he felt really happy. Maybe he was suffering from Sakura withdrawal. And yet, at the back of his mind, a small part of him realised that it was a little bit deeper than that. With a loud rumble of his stomach, Naruto put those thoughts to rest, instead changing them into something much more pressing. Ramen.

* * *

Hinata calmly walked with her cousin and sister, who had calmed down significantly after a scolding from Neji. Her face was calm. Well, on the outside she remained calm. On the inside, she was a nervous wreck. Neji would have to tell her father that she was with Naruto, which would send him into a rage. And she didn't want to feel the brunt of that.

Hanabi shot a nervous glance in her direction. She too knew the crush that her sister developed on the blonde boy, and father would never approve.

Neji was slightly bemused at Hanabi's argument with the blonde boy. Although, the most pressing matter on his mind was most certainly the verbal abuse that Hinata would get. Hiashi was cold. Not cruel, but cold. Neji however saw him as a tool. A tool to be used to get stronger.

He shot a glance towards his cousin, and she smiled softly. They were slowly becoming friends. He sent one in return. Eventually, after traveling through the compound and into the main houses keep, they reached a large door. Neji knocked twice, and a voice could be heard shouting "Enter!"

The Hyȗga pushed open the door, bowing to the seated Hiashi. The two sisters did the same.

Hiashi kept his face in an even frown, his eyes showing his distaste. "And where have you been Hinata? You were supposed to be here an hour ago?"

The coldness shook Hinata, but she replied. "So-sorry father, I got distracted-"

"Neji," the clan leader barked. "Where was she?"

Neji took a sharp intake of breath, shot a pitying glance in Hinata's direction, before replying. "She was with… Naruto Uzumaki, Lord Hiashi," he bowed. The clan leader's face changed into a thick scowl.

"Is this true Hinata," he almost spat. She cringed, but nodded.

"Father," Hanabi interrupted, causing Hiashi to send her a disapproving look. "If I may speak?"

Hiashi nodded. "Uzumaki was walking her home, that was all. I met her at the gate, and we talked-"

"He was disrespectful of a clan-"

"I provoked him father." While the Hyȗga was only seven years of age, she held a voice of command and authority that rivalled her fathers. Hinata and Neji were surprised to see her arguing with the head of their clan, even if she was his daughter. Such blatant disrespect. However, Hiashi seemed to let her get away with it.

"Hanabi," he snapped, "Your opinion is noted. Hinata, you are still going on this mission with him, yes?"

"Ye-yes father."

"You will not be any longer."

Hinata seized up. No, she had too. But…

Her face held her utter despair, and she looked down at the ground, tears threating to spill onto her pale cheeks. "Yes fat-"

"Father, why not let her take Neji?" Hanabi suggested. Neji froze, shooting the young girl a disapproving look. Tenten would kill him if he we-

"No. Hinata shall stay here." Hiashi announced after a moment. Hanabi shook her head roughly.

"It would make sense to send Neji with her. He, as a branch member has a right to protect my sister from any 'advances'. And, it would allow for some more training outside the compound, which they both desperately need."

Neji scowled at her, while Hinata wiped the tears from her eyes and shot an incredulous look at her little sister. Hiashi scowled even deeper, but in his eyes he held certain praise for his younger daughter.

"Very well." He snapped. "Hinata, when are you leaving?"

"To-tomorrow father. A-at noon, by the front gate."

"Good. Neji, you will accompany her. Make it clear to Uzumaki that he shall not be making any romantic advances on my daughter. Any disagreement will result badly. For the both of you."

Neji bowed, although he continued scowling. "Thank you, Lord Hiashi."

"Is that all father? I wish to go to bed." Hanabi announced walking towards the door. Hiashi waved his hand of her direction, and she slipped out, but not before winking at her older sister.

"You are dismissed. Hinata, tomorrow we shall meet for training at 8."

The two genin bowed to Hiashi and quickly scarpered out the room. As soon as they entered the hallway, Neji had turned to face her with a disgruntled look. "Lady Hinata, I shall meet you at the front gate. Have a pleasant night." His tone was bitter, and she cringed slightly as he stomped off.

She did smile softly at what her sister had done for her. If she was not busy, she resolved, she would go and have a rare talk and thank her.

Hinata, however, was slightly glad that Neji was coming along for the trip. At least she wouldn't be able to embarrass herself. She hoped.

* * *

Shikamaru trudged through the woods to his family's compound, his face a mixture of aggravation and confusion. "Stupid women," he muttered under his breath as he kicked an innocent pine cone.

Ino had parted ways with the lazy genin by a simple glare, which he returned full force. He sighed as he remembered the look on her face. Pure hatred. Okay, hatred was a strong word, but to some effect she hated him.

It occurred to him, as he walked back, that the duo had not said two words to each other since the argument. That would need to be rectified. The mission relied on good teamwork, and with Choji out of the mix, Team 10 would need all the help they could get. No sensei, no Choji, just him and Ino. And they weren't even speaking.

Still, Shikamaru shoved the thoughts about Ino to the back of his mind, and focused on something slightly more pressing. This mission had a 75% chance to fail. They were facing Chunnin and Jōnin, most with unknown ability's. They had to rescue a hostage, a person they knew very well, and would definitely cloud people's logic (Naruto's and Ino's, to be exact). And to top it all off, they had no idea if they were even heading into the right area! It was by far the toughest mission the lazy genin had yet, and the pure prospect of doing all that work sent Shikamaru into a dizzy spell. The Nara compound came into view, and the lazy genin sighed happily as he thought about his own bed. And then he groaned as he realised he would most probably have to get up by eleven.

"What are you groaning about, son?" a voice came from behind the boy. He didn't flinch, just merely indicated his head backwards. Shikaku Nara, Shikamaru's father, appeared behind him from the shadows. He smiled slightly as his son rubbed the back of his head, and muttered. "Dad, can I go to bed. I'll talk with you tomorrow."

The older Nara smiled slightly, before his face turned serious. "I hear your going on a mission."

The lazy genin nodded, yawning and stretching. "Good," Shikaku announced, walking forward slightly so he was standing next to his son. "Then I can show you this new technique I've decided to teach you."

The groan that emanated from Shikamaru's throat could be heard across the forest.

* * *

Ino was irritable. Most knew this about her. When she was in a bad mood, she showed it with her fists and vocabulary. And on the receiving end tonight, was her father. She had come home, to discover her bouquet she had been working on before meeting with Shikamaru, had been ruined. Well, the lilies had been replaced with roses. When the blonde bombshell had discovered that it was in fact her father, she went and still was on a tangent. "It was an experiment!" she roared angrily. "I've been working on that for a week!"

Inochi Yamanaka watched his daughter curiously. He could tell something was obviously bothering her, much more than the fact he had tried to make the bouquet look better. The lilies just didn't work!

"Princess," he interrupted her. "What's really going on?"

Ino stopped her tangent and sighed, sitting down on her dining room chair. Her eyes were glassily, and her mouth was curled into an annoyed snarl. "It's Shikamaru," her loud shrill voice filled the house. "I asked him what he thought about me asking Sasuke for a date and he snapped at me. What a bastard!"

Inochi couldn't help but smirk, and that caught Ino's frustrated eye. "Stop smiling! This is serious!"

"Okay, okay sweetheart," Inochi chuckled holding his arms out in surrender. "Anything else?"

"Yes! I felt bad and then he said something like 'I've always liked you, and he never will!' And now I'm so confused." She muttered putting her head in her hands. Inochi sighed. Teenage girls. Taking a page from Shikamaru's book, a single thought crossed his mind. "How troublesome."

"Look, maybe he was just having a bad day," Inochi tried to reassure her. It failed, and she still looked as lost as ever. "Maybe you should both talk it out and apologize-"

"No! He will apologize to me. I don't care what he said; when he apologizes to me we will talk. Until then, he's neither my friend nor teammate."

With those words, Ino stormed up the stairs, slamming her door. Inochi sighed. It seemed, even though the girl didn't know it yet, she had developed a crush on Shikamaru. He would have to talk to Shikaku about this. Fan freakin'tastic.

* * *

Akamaru looked up to gaze at his master. Kiba walked solemnly, not with the usual energy that an Inuzuka would possess. No, his thoughts were too clouded to think about bouncing around. His thoughts were on his teammate, Shino Aburame. The pain on his face…

Kiba shook his head roughly, trying to shake the thoughts from his mind. "A shinobi must be an emotionless mask, at all times," he reiterated over and over in his head. Like he did that before.

"Poor, poor Shino," he muttered to Akamaru, reaching down to scratch the dog behind the ears. It had now turned dark, almost nothing visible to the naked eye. But, Inuzuka's had an enhanced night vision, and coupled with the added visual effects that shinobi training gave you, the world had a light blue tinge to it. It was deathly quiet, only certain shinobi darting from the rooftops before the sound waves even reached your ears. Kiba checked his watch. It was 11.30. His mother was going to kill him. With a heavy sigh, Kiba trudged on with Akamaru by his side.

Needless to say, Kiba was in for a world of hurt as soon as he got in the door. Before he even had a chance to turn around, Tsume, Kiba's mother was upon him. "And where have you been?" she questioned, tapping her foot, her face twisted into a feral grin.

"Out," was his deadpan response, brushing past her and trying to head up the stairs. Tsume grasped at his arm, stopping him.

"Easy Pup, the Heat getting ya down?" she questioned teasingly. Kiba growled at her, and she growled right back.

"I'm not in the mood mom." He said trying to yank away. She didn't release him, only grasped harder in response.

"What's wrong?" she yanked him down the stairs again, before blocking them with her bulky frame.

"It's Shino's dad! He's-he's dead."

Tsume's face softened slightly. "I know," she replied. "We were teammates after all."

Kiba looked at her incredously. "Really?" his curiosity was piqued. A roaring laugh echoed from Tsume's chest, almost shaking the house.

"Pup, on my team was the biggest stuck up bastard, Hiashi Hyȗga!" she waved her hand. "Although, he doesn't keep in contact anyhow, thank god."

Akamaru let out a bark, reminding Kiba and Tsume of Shino and his father. She sighed, her face softening even more. "Listen Kiba," she put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you feel bad. But you must be strong for your friend. How would he feel if he saw you down in the dumps? Bad. You need to brighten up, before I whack you round the face." And she did, smacking him. He rubbed his head and smiled

"Come here pup," and she wrapped him in a warm embrace. Kuromaru walked up to his master, and cocked his head to the side.

"Affection, between Inuzuka's, that doesn't involve tearing each other's faces off?" he laughed.

Kiba broke off from his mother and shot the talking dog a look. He just smirked, you know, as dogs do.

Tsume slapped Kiba on the back, and barked. "Now go to bed runt, your cleaning up the kennels tomorrow!"

Kiba groaned.

* * *

Good lord, why was he here? The questioned plagued Sasuke Uchiha's mind as he sat, on a stool, waiting for his pork ramen. He was currently sat at Ichiraku ramen shop, brooding. Ayame, the daughter of the owner of Ichiraku, Teuchi, looked at the brooding Uchiha slightly worried.

Sasuke shot her a glance, and she meeped and turned back to making the ramen. Sasuke rubbed his head and let out a sharp groan as he gingerly touched his forehead. Stupid lightning ninja.

His ramen was placed in front of him, and he raised his eyes slightly as thanks, before beginning to eat slowly.

"Why am I here?" the question resounded in Sasuke's head, and he didn't know why. Maybe he wanted to see Naruto. Or maybe the compound held to many memories.

Sasuke grunted as he dropped at bit of his ramen, a long noodle hitting the floor. Sasuke sighed, and went to reach it. Then he realised it was on the floor, and briskly rose. And he was met with a pair of cerulean eyes a bright white teeth gleaming at him.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled plonking himself down on his preferred seat and shooting Sasuke a smile. He frowned back.

"Dobe." Was his normal greeting, and Naruto just retorted with.

"Teme."

They smirked at each other, before Teuchi appeared from the back of the shop and yelled. "Naruto! Your usual?"

Naruto smiled, banging his fist on the counter. "You bet it old man! Six bowls of your finest miso ramen on the double!"

Teuchi laughed at set to work, while Ayame left to gather the supplies for Naruto's monstrous order. This left Naruto smiling brightly at Sasuke and his teammate frowning back. "So Sasuke," Naruto began slapping his teammate on the back, much to the Uchiha's chagrin. "What are ya doing here?"

Sasuke shrugged. "You're always going on about it, and I thought I would give it a go."

"And," Naruto, noticing the half empty bowl of pork ramen, invaded the raven's personal space. Sasuke shoved him backwards, knocking the blonde of his chair.

"It was okay-"

"Okay! Ichiraku ramen is the best ramen ever!" he yelled, leaping back up and shouting his usual catch line which none shall ever repeat. Teuchi placed his first bowl down on the counter, laughing.

"Glad to see you agree Naruto." The blonde beamed back, before scoffing down the ramen with his chopsticks. Sasuke was appalled, but he could help the small smirk that graced his lips. Contrary to popular belief, he did like Naruto. As much as he was a knucklehead, annoying, and a Dobe, he was his teammate. Jesus, he was going soft.

Sasuke shook those thoughts away, replacing his small smirk with his usual cool mask.

He finished his bowl in silence, while Naruto slurped down three more. "Pig," Sasuke announced, earning a glare from Naruto which he hotly returned.

He wiped the food on his sleeve, and burped loudly, before asking. "Hey Sasuke, how come you haven't left yet?"

Sasuke opened his mouth, and closed it. Why hadn't he left? His ramen was finished, he was full, and he should head home. Instantly, flashes of Orochimaru, the battle in the forest, the battle before Gaara with the snake sennin. He shivered unconsciously. He didn't want to go home, not for tonight. What could he do?

"I can't go home," he said after a few moments. Naruto's brow rose as he swallowed the rest of his fifth bowl.

"Why not?"

Sasuke shrugged indifferently. "I just don't want to?"

Naruto didn't press, just smiled brightly, unnerving Sasuke. "Yo-you could stay at mine?"

Sasuke was about to shout no way in hell, but then… Well, it wasn't a bad idea. Kakashi was always going on about teamwork, and he should get to know his fr- Jesus, he really was going soft. Still, with a nod, he agreed. Naruto also nodded, yelling. "Don't worry Sasuke! We'll get Sakura back, believe it!"

While Sasuke didn't know why Naruto had shouted that out, and at such a random time, he wasn't going to disagree. As annoying as he found the pink haired fan girl, she was his teammate. "Yes we will."

* * *

As the sun rose above the horizon, signalling a new day, one man was already waiting patiently at the gate. Kakashi was lying lazily against the wall, Icha Icha in hand, and generally enjoying the book he read over 20 times. It was about six am, and the world was still. Birds chirped softly, they themselves waking from there slumber. The day looked as if it was going to be nice and sunny. And Kakashi was glad for that.

He had been here since five, just reading. He was worried.

This was different than any other mission he had ever been on. This was his student. And she was taken right under his nose.

He shook his head slightly. No, he couldn't do this to himself. Not again. He had already internally battled with himself multiple times over Obito. He wouldn't start with Sakura. Because she was alive.

"Sensei," a calm collected voice called from a nearby tree. Kakashi titled his head upwards in greeting.

"Sasuke," he greeted as the Uchiha leapt down from the tree gracefully, a large pack firmly held up by his back.

The raven haired boy went up to the wall Kakashi was leaning on and leant backwards casually. They stood there in silence, Kakashi engrossed in his pervy book, and Sasuke tapping his foot impatiently.

"Is Naruto with you?" Kakashi asked after a few moments, snapping his book shut.

Sasuke shrugged. "I saw him this morning. He said he was going to shower and come right here."

"When did you see him?"

"When I woke up. I stayed at his house last night."

Kakashi blinked. When Sasuke noticed his sensei staring at him wide eyed, his cool complexion creased into a thick scowl. "It wasn't like that," he snapped, and Kakashi shrugged.

"I wasn't implying anything."

Sasuke snorted, before they both went back into their comfortable silence. A few minutes after, Kakashi said. "You have nightmares, don't you Sasuke." It was a statement, and Sasuke froze.

How did he- No, it doesn't matter. "Doesn't everybody?" was his response.

Kakashi continued. "That's why you stayed at Naruto's house, wasn't it."

Sasuke didn't reply, but he closed his eyes and sighed.

Kakashi frowned under his mask, but said, "It's okay, I won't push you. In fact, I would say you were doing better than ever."

Sasuke eyed him curiously. He didn't think he had been doing better. Sure, he had almost beaten that freak Gaara, but still! "How do you mean?"

Kakashi smiled. "Your interactions with your teammates."

Sasuke pondered this. He had been spending more time with Naruto lately, and Sakura wasn't too bad…

"Sasuke, I'm happy for you. You have friends, teammates, and you have me." He placed a hand on his students shoulder. At first, the copy nin thought Sasuke would shove him over the way he looked at his hand with disdain. But instead, he smirked.

"Thanks." He muttered, shrugging Kakashi's hand off of his shoulder.

Kakashi smiled.

"Hey guys!" Naruto yelled as he waved to the others down the street.

"Come on dobe, we don't have all day!" Sasuke called back.

"Teme," Naruto muttered under his breath before walking causally over to Sasuke and Kakashi. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and smiled his foxy grin. "Sorry, I went to collect someone."

As if on cue, Hinata walked up with Neji in toe. She smiled politely. "Go-good morning Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke."

The two stoic ninja nodded in her direction. Neji just scowled, obviously not wanting to be here at all. "When are we leaving," he asked impatiently. Naruto scowled at him.

"When everybody gets here, duh!"

Neji rolled his eyes.

The group made small talk, well, the group being Naruto talked and Hinata nodded and blushed, while the others paid no mind, until Kiba, Akamaru (Who was placed atop Kiba's head, sound asleep) and Shino strolled along the path.

Kiba, having more sense than Naruto and trying not to wake everybody in the village up, waved.

"He-hello Kiba. Shino." Hinata said smiling softly at her teammates. Kiba grinned back at her, until he saw Neji.

"What's he doing here?" he questioned.

Neji's scowl deepened, even though many thought that impossible. "I was asked by Lord Hiashi to look after Lady Hinata."

Kiba snorted, "Yeah, like you tried to protect her in the Chunnin exams."

"Ki-Kiba, let's not bring that up-"Hinata tried to reason, but to her surprise Shino spoke up.

"It is illogical, to place one who hates her so much to look after her."

"I do not hate Lady Hinata, and even if I did, that is no business of yours, Aburame."

"Then I would recommend speaking and treating well my teammate, Hyŭga."

Shino and Neji stared each other down stoically, before Hinata blushed, and they both stopped. Kiba grumbled under his breath and pulled her away from Neji, and they both talked for a while. Shino, however, moved towards Kakashi and Sasuke. He nodded his greetings, and said. "Kakashi-sensei, it is an honour to work with you, and I shall enjoy learning what I can from your teachings." He bowed, before adding. "And please forgive my earlier transgressions against Neji."

Kakashi shrugged, "It's okay."

Shino nodded, and went over to join with Kiba and Hinata. Speaking of those two, Kiba was chatting, or rather arguing with Naruto about who beat who during the Chunnin exams preliminary's. "Your victory was a fluke!" Kiba argued. Naruto shook his head wildly.

"No, I beat you fair and square. Admit it, I'm the better ninja!" he stuck his tongue out, and Kiba went to stop him, when Shikamaru came up the path.

The lazy genin yawned, a large pack on his back. He had his hands in his pockets in his customary manner, and sighed when he saw the state the team was in. Neji stood off to the side, looking angered and annoyed. Hinata fruitlessly trying to break up a war with words between Naruto and Kiba. Shino gaze switched between the two of them, and from what Shikamaru could see from the body language of the Aburame, he was mildly amused. Sasuke and Kakashi seemed to be the only normal ones. And that wasn't saying much. Shikamaru sighed. This was going to be a long, long trip. "What a drag." He said as he waved to all the people present.

Naruto slapped the lazy genin on the back, smiling happily. "Come on Shikamaru! Liven up, we're going to find Sakura and kick some ass!" this earned a holler of agreement from Kiba, and everybody rolled their eyes except for Shino.

Shikamaru groaned as his eyes almost drooped shut. He was forced for three hours to practice a new Shadow Jutsu with his father. Three hours! Needless to say, the lazy genin yawned loudly and put his arms behind his neck.

"Nobody else here yet?" he questioned.

"I am."

The lazy genin turned to see Ino. He scowled slightly, but nodded. "Ino," he muttered in greeting. She kept her mouth perfectly even, and replied. "Shikamaru. You look a little tired."

"I was training. You don't look so hot yourself."

Ino's scowl deepened. "I have been training also." She huffed crossing her arms.

The scowling contest continued, until Neji made an annoyed grunt. "Stop acting like children. You're supposed to be ninja."

Both of the genin snapped their heads around and scowled deeply at Neji, but complied, walking over to opposite sides of the area. Shikamaru went to stand by Kakashi and Sasuke, while Ino went to stand with the others. An uneasy silence followed, before a loud booming voice interrupted the peace. "Yosh! I see the most youthful ninja have turned out!"

Gai came crashing down to the floor, giving his signature thumbs up. He had not one, not two, but three packs on. One on his front and two on his back. He was quickly followed by a hobbling Lee, who copied his sensei.

"Hello my most wonderful friends! I, Rock Lee, shall be accompanying you on this-"

"They already know Lee," Tenten's voice cut in as she walked beside her teammates, sighing. She scanned the group, checking to see how many of them were- wait what?

"Neji!" she called out, and the stoic Hyŭga gave her an awkward smile.

Lee's eyes became downcast as he gazed at the floor. It's not like he didn't want his teammate to be here, he was glad Neji had a change of heart, but still… he really wanted to spend time with Tenten, by himself.

"Neji, I'm so glad you decided to come!" Tenten walked over happily to her teammate, grinning ear to ear. Kakashi exchanged a look with Gai. This wasn't going to end well. Kakashi leant forward, ready to interrupt their talk before it-

"I was ordered her by Lord Hiashi to look after Lady Hinata," Neji responded, not meeting her eyes. Tenten froze in place, and blinked. Her jaw clenched.

"You didn't come of your own free will…" she trailed off, her hands curling into fists.

Neji's eyes widened. She wouldn't-

His thought was answered as Tenten's fist met with his jaw, jarring it backwards. He landed with a thud, too shocked to even think about retaliating. "You bastard!" she growled, and looked as though she wanted to throw another punch. But, she stopped suddenly, her eyes filling with tears. "I thought… I thought that maybe you would care…"

She turned away from him, a tear spilling down her cheek. "I guess I was wrong."

She walked away, not meeting anybody's gaze, and calmly walked out of Konoha's gates.

Everyone shared uneasy looks, all shooting Neji somewhat sympathetic glances. The Hyŭga wiped a bit of blood that dripped down his chin and stood up, his movements cold and robotic.

"Well then," Kakashi said rubbing his hands together, coughing awkwardly. "Shall we get a move on."

"Of course."

In a puff of smoke, Kurenai appeared, with a large pack on her back. Kiba blinked. "Kurenai-sensei?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes Kiba. I'm coming with you. I hope that's okay Kakashi."

The copy nin shrugged. "The more the merrier."

Kurenai smiled her thanks, before walking followed. The others complied also, gathering up there packs and moving forward

"Yosh, this most youthful mission begins!" Gai yelled, fist-pumping. Lee didn't do it with him; he was too down for that. Naruto beamed brightly, and as he walked out of the gates he leapt upwards, his fist pumping.

"We're coming Sakura!" he yelled out to the world. Kakashi and Sasuke both smiled slightly. That was their number one knuckleheaded hyperactive ninja.

**Hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you next time! Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Welcome everyone to chapter nine of The Winds of Change. I do apologize for the extra-long wait, but this chapter is over 900 words! Longest chapter I've ever done. I hope all you guys enjoyed the wait, and I know this is a long chapter, and for that I do apologize. The next chapter will be very long also, as there is quite a large fight scene. Anyway, enough of my waffling. Enjoy chapter nine!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Shino would be Hokage!**

* * *

Chapter 9: Relations.

"No, you do it like this, ya idiot."

"No! You do it like this!"

And this was the sound that filled the camp of Team Rescuers. Kiba and Naruto were both in a heated discussion about the most important part of camping. Setting up a tent.

Naruto had decided he would set his tent up next to Kiba's. And they both had different ways of setting it up. Naruto used his shadow clones, and made them hold onto the pegs while he nailed them down. Kiba only had himself, and he begrudgingly placed rocks on them to keep them in place. Of course, this resorted in a comment that Kiba was dumber than rocks, and had spurred a massive argument and competition.

Kiba was nose to nose with Naruto, both of them growling. "I am right, cheat with your shadow clones you weakling!"

Naruto snarled. "At least I have the brain power to use my shadow clones, unlike you."

Before anyone could react, Kiba had leapt on Naruto, and they both rolled around on the ground wrestling.

Everyone around camp sighed. Shino leant against the tree, watching the altercation from afar. Shikamaru was leaning atop a hill, with a fantastic view of the whole campsite. The camp itself was situated right next to a river, with a small clearing, a forest, and a medium sized hill. Shikamaru had been watching clouds rather happily, but then Naruto and Kiba just had to interrupt. He cast a glance at Ino, who was sat by the river bank, scowling at the two boys. Hinata was next to her, gingerly picking up flowers while blushing all the same. She was slightly conflicted, did she want her teammate, or her crush to win.

Nearer towards the big hill was where the impromptu training ground was set up. This was simply logs made to stand on end, or small areas used for sparring purposes. Tenten was angrily throwing kunai at a nearby stump, everyone in a while turning to look at Neji, who stood off to the side of Hinata, watching her, and then turning his gaze to the brawl. Tenten was imagining his face on the tree stump, no doubt.

Rock Lee and Gai were training. After much pleading that lasted for over one day, and a lot of pleading from everyone else in the group who were tired of Lee's constant willingness to train, Gai had agreed to allow Lee to do some training. He was currently helping Lee through one armed push ups, and every once in a while both their eyes would fill with tears and they would hug and embrace each other.

That left Sasuke and Kakashi, who, while still near the hill, were a little ways off to the side, nearer the stream.

Sasuke smirked slightly as Kakashi dodged his barrage of kunai. Before he knew what even hit him, he performed the familiar hand signs for the Fireball Jutsu-

The wind was knocked out of him as he was sent sailing backwards, landing with a thud.

Kakashi eye smiled. "You'll have to be quicker than that Sasuke." He teased, earning a grumble from the Uchiha as he stood upwards.

"Come at me again, we'll focus on pure Taijutsu for now."

Sasuke nodded, and raced forward. He went for a sweep, trying to knock Kakashi's legs out from under him, but the grey haired nin leapt upwards. Sasuke quickly regained his balance and went for an uppercut, Kakashi bent his head back and dodged, and while Sasuke was sailing upwards the copy nin went to punch him in the jaw. The Uchiha was slightly quicker, but only by a very small margin, and blocked the punch with his elbow. He then swung his lower body around ready to strike Kakashi, but he then blocked with his forearm. The duo both disconnected from each other, and landed on the ground feet first.

They both panted slightly, before a familiar blaze or red filled Sasuke's obsidian eyes. Kakashi winced slightly, having almost forgotten the real reason he was on this mission in the first place. Itachi.

As Sasuke charged, Kakashi wasn't really in the fight. He was too focused on the subject of the missing Konoha nin that he almost forgot to block a punch that the Uchiha sent his way.

What could he do? He had been asked by the dead Third Hokage, to find a man who had massacred his own clan, and bring him back to the village. If he wanted to come back to the village. And if he didn't?

Kakashi ducked another kick that Sasuke sent his way. That was only half the problem however. Sasuke made up the other half.

Kakashi knew how well Sasuke was doing. He had, in his own little way, made great social progress. Mainly with Naruto. They had both formed a strong bond. A band of brothers. And if Itachi came back… What would Sasuke do? In all honesty, as Kakashi thought about it, Sasuke really only had three choices.

One, give up on the vendetta. This was highly unlikely, and rightly so. Sasuke was one of only two living Uchiha's left, thanks to his brother.

Two, Train in the leaf village, hopefully understanding the true meaning of friendship, and forgetting about his vendetta through that. Again, highly unlikely.

Or three, the worst of the options. Sasuke would leave the village, and seek out Orochimaru for power. That was the most likely option out of all three. Sasuke would abandon them all for power.

And, could Kakashi kill his own student?

The copy nin couldn't answer that question, and he hoped and prayed it would not come to that. And yet, there was this niggling feeling in the back of his mind. And it was going to grow, he just knew it. He would have to kill Sasuke, one way, or another.

Sasuke was also rather deep in thought. Well, as deep in thought as you can be when trying fruitlessly to hit your sensei. Kakashi leapt up to dodge another sweeping kick, much to Sasuke's chagrin. He just couldn't hit him. Not once!

Kakashi, however, noticed Sasuke's frustration, and blocked the raven's punch easily with his hand.

"Sasuke," he said eyeing the boy. "That's enough for today. Go rest."

Sasuke panted, before nodding. Kakashi realised his hand, and calmly walked off back to camp. Sasuke surveyed his options. One, head up onto the hill. Nah, Shikamaru was up there, and while the lazy genius wasn't nearly as annoying as the other people he was traveling with, he would rather just be by himself. The camp was definitely out of question then. The raven cast a glance, and saw that Naruto and Kiba were still wrestling in the dirt, trying to get the upper hand on each other. Sasuke smirked. God, those two were just like dogs. Funny for a while, and then they get tedious.

And then there was the river bank. That seemed the quietest, as it was only Ino and Hinata there. Sure, Ino might try and molest him while he wasn't looking, but she seemed too wrapped up in her conversation with Hinata to worry about him. Seeing as that was the only viable option, Sasuke trudged over, and plonked himself down near the river's edge. He was silent for a moment, watching as some lily pads floated across the water's surface. It was a calm and peaceful day. The birds chirped happily, and wind flew through the air gracefully. Of course, this was not the case. A normal person couldn't see it, but everyone was being bothered by something. Sasuke could see it anyway. The way Ino's shoulders were constantly tense, and she every once in a while, when she thought no one was looking, shot a glance in Shikamaru's direction. Or the way Tenten always shoots Neji an angry glare, and then beats the evil stump into submission. It was annoying, but it was to be expected. Sasuke too was worried, though he would never admit it.

He was worried about Sakura. Yeah, the annoying pink banshee. He was deeply worried. Why? He didn't know. She was his teammate, his friend, as hard as it was to admit it. And he did care about her.

His brow furrowed, and he absentmindedly kicked his feet over the surface of the water. God damn friendship, getting in the way of-

"So, your related to the famous Itachi Uchiha. I'll be sure to give him your regards."

Sasuke tensed. His heart beat hard and fast, trying to escape the confines of his chest. The only sound was the rapid beats of Sasuke's heart, and feeling of torn dirt under the pale hands of the Uchiha. His knuckles were white, but, with the amount of squeezing the earth, it wasn't surprising. It couldn't have been, could it?

Itachi…

"Sasuke," a shy voice brought him out of his thoughts. His head snapped to the side, and Hinata let out a meep of surprise. His face was so cold, so full of raw anger and hate.

"So-sorry," she stammered, holding out a loaf of bread. "I th-thought you would like something to eat. S-so I br-brought you some br-bread."

Sasuke's face softened ever so slightly, and he took the bread with a nod. "Thanks," he muttered, and took a long bite of his new found food. Hinata, however, didn't move, and played with her fingers nervously. That annoyed Sasuke.

"Do you want something?" he asked a little colder than he had intended. It wasn't her fault that Itachi was-might be near.

She recoiled slightly, but then whisper. "I-I noticed you were lo-looking un-unwell. Are you o-okay?"

Sasuke grimaced. "I'm fine," he announced turning back towards the river bank. "Your worry is not needed."

Hinata nodded, muttered another apology, and slowly skulked away.

Sasuke let out an almost inaudible sigh. He shouldn't have been that hard on her. But, there was no going back now. The Uchiha stood up, took one last look across the shallow river, placed his hands in his pockets and slowly trudged away, into the woods.

Kakashi watched him go, his brow marred by a thick frown. He knew something was up with Sasuke. Perhaps it was something about the fight? It didn't matter, he would ask him-

"Kakashi!" a booming voice called out. Gai landed next to his self-proclaimed eternal rival, beaming with determination. "I challenge you to a race!"

Kakashi didn't respond, just reached into his pocket and pulled out Icha Icha. Gai waited patiently for a few minutes while Kakashi fingered through his book. Eventually, after approximately 10 minutes of waiting, the copy nin turned to the spandex wearing Jōnin next to him, and said. "I'm sorry Gai, did you say something?"

Gai paled significantly, before turning away, his eyes burning in determination once again. "Damn that Kakashi, always so hip and cool! Well, I'll show him!"

"Kakashi!" Gai's booming voice stirred everyone from their conversations and trances. "I challenge you!"

Kakashi flipped over another page. "What kind of challenge?"

Gai gave his nice guy pose, his pearly white teeth almost blinding the Jōnin. "I picked the challenge last time, or have you forgotten the scaling the Hokage monument using only our teeth challenge!"

Yes, Kakashi did remember that, in fact, he had teleported up there while Gai spent hours trying to scale the thing. Then, a thought came to the copy nin, and a small smirk crossed his lips. "Okay Gai," he began still not looking up from his book. "How about a race around the camp? We will race a mile that way," he gestured with his hand to the east, "And then swing around the camp, and back to this position. Do you think you can handle that Gai?"

Gai did his signature nice guy pose once again. "Of course I can handle that Kakashi! Your hip and young ways will not deter me. Let us begin!" and with that he sped off.

Everyone in the camp looked at Kakashi expectantly. He didn't move a muscle for the longest time, and then… he flipped to another page in his book. Everybody sweatdropped.

Then, the sounds of panting and victory cheers reached the ears of the camp, and Gai soon came barrelling out of the woods. "Yes," he yelled triumphantly. "I have bested Kakashi, he-"He stopped as the copy nin waved to him.

"Yo."

Gai blinked, and then blinked again, before tears filled his eyes and collapsed on the ground. "How! How could my eternal rival best me again!"

Everyone around the camp was snickering madly, except for Lee, who went to open his mouth and say how Kakashi had cheated. He was swiftly stopped by Kiba and Naruto, who swiftly clamped the boy's mouth shut against his own accord. He let out a muffled cry of horror, but with a stern glare from Tenten, he quieted down.

Gai, however, was over it, and proudly leapt to his feet. He yelled. "Kakashi! Once again you have bested me, but this will never happen again! The next time we face off, I will be victorious!" and the green spandex wearing Jōnin bounded off somewhere into the woods.

Kakashi just shook his head, before plonking down on the grass and beginning to finger through his book again. Everyone else went back to what they were doing. Such was the craziness of Jōnin's and their antics.

* * *

Naruto kicked a rock. He was bored. Very, very bored. Everyone had told him to go away! He sighed, and plonked himself down on the stump of a tree. He could train, but he didn't have anyone to train with. Then a thought crossed his mind. Sasuke of course! The blonde leapt up, and went to yell for his raven haired teammate, but then remembered that he had gone into the woods to presumably train. But then, another idea dawned on the blonde. He would go find him!

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called as he bounded over to the copy nin. He was still reading Icha Icha, every once in a while a perverted giggle would escape his lips. When the copy nin didn't respond to the blonde's call, he asked "Can I go look for Sasuke in the woods?"

Kakashi looked up from his book, and shrugged. "I suppose. And also, get some firewood."

Naruto nodded, and went to trudge off into the woods on his hunt for Sasuke, when Kakashi also called out. "Oh and Naruto, take someone with you. Hinata's available I believe."

Her name being called out caught the pale Hyŭga heir's attention, and she turned swiftly to see who had called her.

She blushed scarlet when she saw Naruto gesturing wildly for her. She was currently picking and looking through flowers with Ino. While she had never really talked to the blonde, and didn't really ever think they would get along, she rather liked her. She knew a lot about flowers, and was really quite fun to chat with.

Ino nudged the dark haired girl's shoulder encouragingly. She smiled softly at her, before standing.

"Hinata, let's go and look for some firewood and Sasuke," Naruto called out, and she nodded shyly, making her way over to her oblivious crush. The blonde smiled at her happily, and she blushed even brighter. Ino just shook her head. When would they ever learn? Unconsciously, she found her gaze drifting to Shikamaru atop the hill watching clouds, but she quickly banished the thought. She had more important things to do, like arrange these flowers that she would never see nor use again. Yeah, much more important, at least that's what the blonde girl in denial by the river said anyway.

Hinata tapped her fingers together nervously. Here she was, with her crush, walking through the woods, alone. Sure, she had been alone on the street that one time (even the thought sent shivers up her spine) but it was a densely populated place. This forest was not densely populated, except of course for the squirrels and the birds.

Hinata shyly looked up to see her crush looking at her expectantly. "Well?" he questioned.

Hinata blushed deeply. "So-sorry, I didn't hear yo-you."

"I asked you how old your sister was."

"Oh! Sh-she's 7."

Naruto nodded briskly, before his face scrunched up slightly. "Hinata, how come you and your sister are so different. She's a rude bitch and you're really kind and graceful. And, you're not a bitch."

Hinata didn't know whether to be offended that he had called her little sister a bitch, or be flattered that he had called her kind and graceful. She went with the latter.

"Yo-you know Na-Naruto, she's ju-just very protective of m-me."

Naruto shrugged. "I suppose. But, I've never had a brother or sister of any description."

Hinata did feel bad for Naruto as she watched his shoulders slump slightly. "Na-Naruto, yo-you were ver-very close with Iruka sen-sensei. Wo-would he not count as a brother?"

Naruto smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I guess. He was always the nicest person to me in the village, except for you of course."

Hinata's blush grew brighter. "Naruto!" she gasped, shocked.

He shrugged, bending down and grabbing an armful of firewood. "What? You've never shouted at me, or scolded me, or anything. You're always so polite and kind and sweet."

Naruto, being the oblivious fool that he was, didn't noticed Hinata tearing up. And when he looked up from picking up the firewood to see tears rolling down her cheeks, he didn't know what to do.

"Uh-uh, are you okay?" he stammered stupidly. She shook her head sadly.

"Uh, okay? Do you… uh, wanna hug?"

Without warning, Hinata uncharacteristically wrapped her arms around his waist and bawled into his jumpsuit. Naruto was shocked, to say the least. In fact, he couldn't even remember a girl ever hugging him before, let alone anyone hugging him ever. He tenderly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and just sought of stared blankly at the top of her head.

"Come on Naruto, think!" He shouted internally at himself. Maybe if he, asked her what's wrong again.

"You feeling okay?"

"What the hell! Are you stupid!"

Hinata continued to cry into his chest as he held him. They stayed like this for a few minutes, just holding each other, before the pale Hyŭga heiress spoke.

"Th-thank you."

Now Naruto was baffled. "Bu-but I made you cry!" he yelled exasperatedly. Hinata shook her head roughly.

"N-no, it-its just th-that no-nobody has ev-ever said such ni-nice thin-things about me!"

Naruto tightened his hug slightly. "That can't be true." The blonde whispered into her hair. She nods glumly, the tears, while still flowing down her cheeks, have stopped ever so slightly.

"Surely your father, as much of an asshole as he is, must have something nice to you."

Hinata slowly stopped sniffling, and shook her head. "H-he said I remind h-him of mo-mother!"

The crying started again, but instead of wailing it was slow, steady sobs. Naruto could feel her hot salty tears through his jumpsuit. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Her tears increased tenfold. Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "What can I say?"

"Hey, why don't you stop crying, and we can go look for Sasuke. He has some food, and we can sit and eat. Eating always makes me feel better." Naruto pushed out his chest comically. This effect ended with Hinata letting out a small giggle, wiping the tears away slowly from her big white eyes.

Naruto smiled also, wiping a tear from her cheek gently. "See, much better."

Hinata gave a small sad smile. "Now, shall we go look for Sasuke?" the blonde asked.

"Hn."

A small plastic container landed at the feet of the two genin. They both looked up to see Sasuke, leaning against a tree trunk while balancing precariously upon a small branch. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke snorted. "No. It's Ino."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "We were just coming to look for you! How long where you up there?"

The Uchiha leapt down onto the ground with ease, and gave a small smirk. "Long enough."

Hinata let out a small squeak. Had she seen all of that, how week she was being? That would be another person who saw her-

"I thought you two looked cute together."

Naruto almost choked on his own saliva, firstly because of the insinuation, and secondly because he didn't even know the word cute was in Sasuke's vocabulary. Hinata's blush could heat a house for a whole week.

"Sasuke!" Naruto whined running forward to punch the raven in the face, even though a light blush dusted his cheeks. The Uchiha easily dodged out of the way of the blow.

"Anyway, I came looking for you because I needed someone to beat up. You interested?"

Naruto gave the foxy grin that he was famous for "Alright, prepare to get your ass kicked Teme!"

Sasuke nodded, and began to walk into the trees. "Na-Naruto, what about the fi-firewood?"

The blonde shrugged at the Hyȗga's question. "Don't worry about it. I'll just have a quick training session with this bastard-"he was cut off as a rock hit the blonde in the back of the head. He turned and snarled at The Uchiha, before turning back towards Hinata. "As I was saying, we'll worry about the firewood later. Come on!"

Without waiting for a reply, Naruto swiftly grasped Hinata's hand in his, causing her to drop the firewood that she was carrying, and the blonde went to pull the dark haired girl along.

Hinata once again couldn't stop the blush that crept onto her face.

"Lady Hinata."

All three genin stopped as the cool voice called out to them. Neji Hyŭga stepped out of the shadows. And he did not look happy. "Lady Hinata," he repeated. "I think it is time we return to camp."

Naruto unconsciously put a hand in front of her. Sasuke watched this interaction with curious eyes. Although he would hate to admit it, it was sorta… sorta… what was that word he had used before. Ah yes, cute. What a funny word that was. Still, they looked somewhat cute.

"She doesn't have to if she doesn't want to." He said somewhat threateningly. Neji's face remained impassive, although his eyes grew a bit colder.

"I would have to disagree. I was asked by her father to look after her while on this mission. And she has been out far longer than the allotted time that her father agreed to." The long haired Hyŭga cast a cold glance in her direction, and she shrunk back slightly.

"This is a mission to gather firewood."

"Yes, but you were going to abandon that mission to go train with Sasuke. Therefore, you are not only shirking your responsibilities, but potentially placing the heiress of the Hyŭga clan in danger."

Sasuke snorted loudly. "We will be fine Neji. After all, they do have a genius to back them up."

Neji's eyes grew even harder at the Uchiha's words, which caused the raven's smirk to increase tenfold. "It matters not," he snapped irritably. "Lady Hinata, you will return with me at once back to the camp."

Naruto turned his gaze to look at Hinata.

Her gaze met the floor, and she nodded slowly. "Y-yes Neji." She agreed, and began to slowly trudge back to retrieve the firewood.

The blonde's hands curled into fists. Had he taught him nothing! Before he could speak out, Sasuke placed his hand on the blondes shoulder.

"Leave it." He somewhat whispered somewhat hissed into Naruto's ear. Letting out a deep sigh, the blonde nodded.

"See you later then, Hinata," he called out as she picked up about a quarter of her firewood. Neji picked up the rest including Naruto's.

"Se-see you back at ca-camp," she let out a sad smile, and then trudged after Neji.

The blonde let out anther sigh of frustration, before turning around and stopping off into the trees. "Let's go get some training done," he called back to Sasuke.

The Uchiha nodded, cast one last look at the two Hyȗga's retreating forms, before placing his hands in his pockets, and walking off after the blonde ninja.

* * *

Tenten once again hit her mark, the senbon puncturing the already punctured body of the wooden training dummy. This was not simple training; however, this was anger management. And by anger management, I mean picturing the sound of weapons slicing through Neji Hyȗga's flesh. She growled as she thought of that bastard, and hastily withdrew a new weapon she had been practicing with from its sheath. A katana.

She pictured him, his cocky smirk, those soulless eyes, and she charged. Letting out a fierce battle cry, she sliced into what she pictured to be Neji's neck, but it turned out to be that of the training dummy. But this would not deter her, after all, she could dream right? After a number of hacks and slashes, the wooden head fell off with a loud thud, splinters littering the ground. It was a shame really. You see, Mr Dummy had wanted to retire from his job as a training dummy, and wanted to travel the world in search of treasure, but the sweaty kunochi in front of him took it all away.

Tenten panted heavily, wiping the sweat from her brow. Okay, maybe she had gone a bit overboard. But then, once again, Neji flashed through her mind, and she let out an animalistic growl.

"Stupid bastard!" she somewhat muttered somewhat yelled, before kicking the wooden head for all her might. However, this was most probably not the smartest idea, as she was wearing no protective foot wear. She clutched at her foot in pain as the head connected with one of the many trees in the surrounding area. With a loud thunk, it bounced off the tree and right into something else. If we're being specific, then it would be the bowl cut head of Rock Lee, who was currently sprawled on the ground.

"Lee!" Tenten yelled as she rushed over to her fallen comrade, her momentary foot pain forgotten. Lee rubbed his head gingerly.

"Are you okay?" a somewhat hazed voice called through the fog that was building. He wished it away, and was met with a pair of concerned brown eyes.

"Y-yes," he called out, half because he was dazed and half because his crush was looming over him.

"I am so so sorry Lee," she said helping him up slowly. He shrugged, before reaching down to grab his crutch. He let out a low moan of pain as he jolted the injured limb. The brunette girl in front of him reached down, handed it to him, and frowned. "You shouldn't be training with Gai-sensei Lee. You need to rest."

"No, I am fine. There is no need to worry about me!" he tried to reassure her.

It didn't work, and he was promptly dragged to one of the many logs surrounding the camp-fire. He tried to voice his disapproval, tell her he was fine, but it was no use, as the brunette shot him a fierce glare. He sighed in defeat, and sat down while she fussed over him for a moment.

"I'll make you some broth." She announced suddenly, after thinking for a few moments. Lee once again tried to voice his opinion, but she would not listen, fixing him with another fierce stare. So, he waited patiently for a few minutes while she made the broth mixture.

She dumped it on his lap, and he gave a bright smile in thanks, before he chowed down. Tenten plonked herself next to him, every once in a while shooting the forest a glare. They sat like this for a while. Just the sounds of Lee eating and Tenten breathing.

Eventually, Lee finished off his broth by wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I most graciously thank you Tenten!" he announced. She smiled at him softly.

"You're welcome Lee-"

She trailed off as she noticed the large lump that had formed on the right side of his forehead. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry Lee!" she once again apologized, reaching for a cloth.

Lee's eyebrows went up quizzically, but before he could ask what was wrong, Tenten was dabbing the cloth over the bump.

"Hopefully this will help the swelling go down." She somewhat muttered to herself, before shooting Lee an apologetic smile. Lee then realised how close their faces were in proximity.

He blushed somewhat, his eyes going downcast. Tenten frowned. Why was he blushing? Maybe he had a fever?

Lee himself wished to know why he was blushing. It was only Tenten, sure, he had a crush on the girl, but he had a crush on Sakura and never blushed. So what was the difference?

"Lee," Tenten somewhat whispered, her eyes going downcast. Lee went to open his mouth to apologize for him getting injured (As you do,) but he didn't get the chance. He felt a pair of soft lips touch his cheek. He took in a sharp intake of breath as she felt her breath on his cheek, her soft velvety lips pressed against his rough skin.

"I'm sorry for everything that's happened." She said, somewhat blushing, as she pulled away.

"I-I… Thank you," he finally resigned, after he couldn't find the words to describe what he was really feeling. Like he was on cloud nine.

But, like most things in life, this sweet moment wouldn't last.

"Tenten, you made broth?"

Tenten's gaze shot up, fixing Neji with a cold stare. He stood there, his face impassive, with Hinata standing right beside him, twiddling with fingers.

"Hello Hinata," Tenten said in the nicest way she possibly could when Neji was around. The Hyŭga heiress smiled softly.

Neji, however, still looked cold. "You didn't make us any." It was a statement, not a question. Then Neji said something rather stupid. "That wasn't kind of you, was it?"

Tenten's spoon snapped in half. Lee turned to her, wide eyed.

"But it does not matter," Neji shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "You can make us some now."

"Th-thank you co-cousin, bu-but I'm f-fine-"

"No Lady Hinata, you must be hungry. Come now Tenten, we would like some broth please."

Tenten stood up, her face livid. "No."

Neji eyed her curiously. "No? Why not, you made Lee some. It would only be fair-"

"Fair!" she roared. "I made him something because he's a nice guy. Unlike you!"

Neji didn't reply, just picked up two bowls and placed one on his lap and one on Hinata's, who looked mortified and the prospect of another argument. Neji looked up expectantly, and, driving the nail into the coffin, handed out his bowl.

Tenten let out the most vicious battle cry one has ever heard, and swiftly withdrew her katana from its sheath. She swung down hard, but Neji managed to leap backwards and dodge the slash, activating his Byakugan.

"Neji, plea-please," Hinata cried, trying to intervene, but it was too late. Neji was already leaping forward, ready to strike.

"You treat me with as much disrespect as the main Hyŭga!" he roared. Tenten blocked his strike with her blade, letting out a guttural snarl.

"You constantly mention 'The Main House'!" she swung her sword, but Neji ducked, withdrawing a kunai and trying to swipe at her chest. Tenten once again blocked with her katana, rendering the unofficial duel between comrades at a stalemate. "You're nothing but a Main House lap dog."

Neji roared with anger, his Byakugan pulsing with rage. Quick as a flash, he used his kunai and sent Tenten's sword upwards. With his other palm, he thrust it forward, ready to strike her in the chest area. He had however misjudged the distance, and as Tenten recoiled to try and bring back down her katana, her body moved slightly. Neji couldn't stop his palm in time. It was heading straight for her heart. His eyes widened, she was going to-

And ear splitting scream filled the air as Neji's palm, instead of hitting Tenten's heart, connected with the injured leg of Lee. He had hit a vital point the leg, one which cut off all chakra flow to that particular area. Lee's painkillers relied on chakra. With his chakra point turned off, he would feel the exact same pain that he felt when Gaara crushed his leg. Over and over and over again. The painkillers kept pumping chakra through the leg, to heal it, but with the chakra point sealed this caused the pain to continue to relapse as each small surge of chakra restarted the cycle. This meant that, because the chakra wasn't working effectively thanks to the Jyuuken strike, it surged all over the leg, causing great pain. The green spandex wearing genin collapsed to the floor, his face twisted and contorted with such anguish.

"Lee!" Tenten's anguished cry broke Neji out of his battle like trance. She looked down as his female teammate dropped her weapons and fell at the screaming genin's side, tears pouring from her eyes.

Neji, startled, stepped backwards. "I Di-didn't mean-"

The words froze in his throat. No, he had meant it. But for Tenten, not Lee.

However, he didn't have any more time to think as Gai's strong arm wrapped around Neji's neck. His face was contorted into a mix of anguish and seriousness. "We're moving you to the other side of the camp. You will remain there at all times."

Kakashi, having appeared next to Lee, frowned. "This is bad Gai. His leg's in horrid shape."

"I-I know so-some medical Ninjutsu." Hinata called out weakly. Kakashi didn't look up from Lee's leg, but nodded his acknowledgement.

Hinata, taking that as a wordless order, knelt down. Her hands glowed green, and she moved them over Lee's legs. She visibly winced.

"He-he's in bad shape. Bu-but the strike did-didn't affect his cha-chakra system. H-he just needs a few hours rest, an-and the p-painkillers will take affect a-again."

Kakashi nodded, and turned a sympathetic gaze to Tenten. "Tenten, you need to move,"

The brunette, eyes puffy and red, nodded, standing.

Kakashi scooped up the green spandex wearing genin in his arms, and shouted over to the gawking Ino and Kiba. "Get something he can lay on!"

They both nodded, and soon found a blanket. Kakashi rushed over and carefully placed Lee on the blanket, his screams echoing around the area. "We need to stop his shouting," Shino announced coming over. "He'll give away our position."

Kakashi nodded, but Gai came up next to him. "Kakashi let me do it."

The copy nin nodded, and flitted over to where Neji was, to watch him.

Gai looked down tearfully at his young student. "I am sorry Lee," he let out a choked sob, before he twinged something on the back of his student's neck, knocking him unconscious.

The Green Beast of Konoha stood up, and turned around to see Hinata helping a sobbing Tenten up and over to the other side of the clearing. He sighed. How had his perfectly in-sync team dishevelled into a violent warzone? He didn't know, but this would end. Back at the gate was enough, but now that this injured someone. Seriously. That drew the line.

* * *

Ino ran her fingers through her blonde hair. She was stressing, big time. Why, you may ask? Well, because she still couldn't get the hang of it. She tried once again, her brows cinched together in concentration. He reached out her hand, aiming it for a random stone. For a moment, nothing happened, but then…

Slowly, a thin coat of blue chakra found itself wrapping around the object, and ever so slowly, it lifted off of the ground. Ino smiled, maybe she was finally-

It then fell to the ground with a quiet thud.

Ino took a deep breath, before leaning backwards to lay on the grass. She had been trying to do this for little over two hours. When she started, the sky was still a bright vibrant blue, dotted with clouds that Shika-

She banished him from her mind quickly, before resuming what she was thinking. After only two hours, the sky was turning a dark shade of orange, and the clouds seemed to dim from pearly white to a light grey. It also seemed the forest around her sensed the coming of the night, and it seemed to quiet down. Still, it was not night yet, and the gentle trickling of the stream that lay just behind Ino let out a soothing melody.

She turned and admired it. It was very beautiful, thick water that mirrored the orange sky above, gave the surrounding area an almost heavenly glow. The reeds swung back and forth to some imaginary hymn that the silent angels sung.

The young kunochi ran her hand over the surface of the water, her sweaty touch marring the cold water and sending a shockwave throughout the river.

She cupped just enough water to fill her hand, and scooped it into her mouth. Her parched throat was immediately soaked with the cool liquid, and, her frustrations forgotten, she let out a contended sigh.

"H-hello Ino."

The shy voice somewhat broke the blonde bombshell from her serene trance, but nonetheless she turned and gave the owner of the voice a soft smile. "Hello Hinata."

The pale Hyŭga nodded shyly. "Cou-could I take a s-seat next to you?"

Ino nodded, and Hinata sat down next to her. They sat in silence, just watching as the orange glow that seemed to cascade all around them.

"H-have you dipped your feet into the water yet? It-it's really co-cool."

Ino shrugged, and turned around, kicking off her shoes, before dipping her toes into the stream. "Ahh," she enjoyed the icy embrace of the water, and said softly. "Thank you for the tip Hinata."

The Hyŭga heiress blushed somewhat, but nodded. "You-you are welcome I-Ino."

And once again, the two lapsed into a comfortable silence. "How's Lee doing?"

Ino had seen the whole fiasco with Team Gai, and even though she didn't know any of them very well, she was very sympathetic towards Lee. He didn't deserve any of this. In her opinion, it was a stupid idea to allow him on the trip.

"He-he's fine. Unconscious, bu-but fine. He ju-just needs a day or so to r-rest. I unblocked his Tenkutsu points, s-so he'll be al-alright in the morning."

Ino smiled at the news. At least it wasn't anything serious, although it certainly sounded like that from the agonized screams that still seemed to plague her memory.

"I-I actually wan-wanted to ask you something."

Ino met the lavender eyes of Hinata curiously. She never usually asked people things. From what she could remember in the academy, she could barely remember the raven haired girl uttering more than a few words a day. Hell, Sasuke spoke more. "Sure Hinata, what is it?"

The Hyŭga seemed to pale for a moment (As if that was possible,) but said. "I-I was just won-wondering wh-what your problem with Sh-Shikamaru is? I-if yo-you-do-don't mind me as-asking," she stuttered out after seeing the somewhat shocked and bewildered look on Ino's face.

The blonde bombshell opened her mouth, and then shut it again. Her eyes became harder, and filled with sadness. She kicked the water, eliciting a small splash. "I don't know," she admitted truthfully. "I-it's just… he never respects me, for me, you know? He always tries to protect me from something I don't need protecting from. An-and… I don't know. I just… don't like seeing him like this. Angry. Angry at me. We're supposed to be friends…"

She trailed off as she poured her heart out. Hinata, however, smiled somewhat softly. She loved him. Even though, from what she knew of the blonde, she would never admit it, she held a deep bond with the lazy genin.

"Wh-what did he d-do to u-upset you s-so much?"

Ino let out a low growl, her eyes changing from sadness to rage. "He snapped at me because I asked him if I should ask Sasuke out! I didn't do anything, and he treated me like an enemy ninja. It's absurd!"

As she continued her much needed rant, with words that shall not be repeated here, a singular thought ran through her mind "Love."

While she didn't want to make this about herself, she would have given anything, her life even to have Naruto talk about her in that way. To care so much, with so much raw emotion…

Finally, with a loud sigh and some small pants, Ino finished her rant with "And then, he says I should go with him on the reconnaissance mission. He doesn't think I can fight."

Hinata nodded, taking the information in. "Ma-maybe yo-you should t-try talking wi-with him again."

Ino went to shake her head, but stopped. What else could she do? Sure, it was his fault that she was like this, but, he was far too stubborn to engage the conversation first. Men.

Ino smiled softly, turning to Hinata. "Thank you."

The Hyŭga did her signature blush, and smiled softly also. "I-it's okay."

As soon as she finished that sentence, Ino stood up, took a deep breath of fresh air, and marched forwards to the hill that Shikamaru was sat upon.

Shikamaru was quite annoyed. Why? Because Ino was coming towards him. And he really didn't want another argument on his hands. Why couldn't she see he was just trying to protect her, to make sure she doesn't get hurt! Women could be so frustrating.

He sat up slowly, his brown eyes meeting her blue orbs. She stopped at the foot of the hill.

They both didn't say anything, letting the awkward silence loom over them like a rain cloud on a stormy night.

"Can we talk?" Ino asked slowly.

Shikamaru shrugged. "If it involves talking, and not bitching."

The blonde's fists clenched involuntary, and she took a deep breath. "Calm down," She thought to herself as she strode up the hill "We're going to talk. Not argue."

She took a place right next to Shikamaru, and turned her gaze upwards, her eyes widening as she actually took in the breathtaking orange sky. The lazy genin next to her noticed her fascination with the sky, and said. "It's nice, isn't it."

Ino nodded. "It's beautiful. I've never noticed how nice the sky looks. Not even the flowers in the shop look this nice!"

Shikamaru, his face hardening slightly, muttered. "Maybe you should focus more on things around you and less on yourself."

In all honesty, he really didn't mean to say that. But, he was still very annoyed with the blonde's stubbornness, and all the times he invited her to watch the clouds with him, now she notices the sky!

Ino's gaze snapped towards him, her mouth twisted into a grimace. "Can we try and be civil and work through our problems?" she muttered through gritted teeth. Who knew it would be this hard to talk to her teammate.

Shikamaru reluctantly nodded. "Okay then, come with us on the reconnaissance mission."

Ino shook her head roughly. "No. I'm staying with the others, Shikamaru."

The lazy genin rolled his eyes. "Can you try to see my point of view first?"

The blonde bombshell nodded after a few moments, but kept her face firm. She wasn't going to enjoy what he was going to say, she could feel it.

"You're not strong enough to go with the others Ino."

Ino's breath hitched. He didn't! He wouldn't… but he did. Now, her grimace contorted with rage. "What was that!" she snarled. Shikamaru didn't flinch, and even though his eyes seemed to fill with sadness, they remained firm and absolute.

"I want you come to come with us. You're not a fighter, Ino," he added as an afterthought. Her eyes grew colder. Before she could retort, he looked at her with such determination, that it somewhat shocked her.

"Ino, you're coming with us."

The blonde let out a guttural growl. "You don't own me, Shikamaru."

The killing intent from the blonde bombshell was building; and as such Hinata was looking at the two, a look of worry on her features. "Not another fight."

Shikamaru let out a sharp bark of laughter. "I'm not trying to own you Ino," he somewhat pleaded. "I'm trying to protect you."

"I don't need protecting!" she huffed indignantly. Shikamaru knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he just couldn't stop. She was riling him up beyond the point of no return. If this didn't stop soon…

"And where were you during the battle?" he snapped at her. "You were asleep. You couldn't do anything."

"I was caught under a Genjutsu!" she retorted back. He rolled his eyes.

"As if that's an excuse. Aren't women supposed to be good at Genjutsu anyway?"

Ino le out sharp sound of annoyance. "Shut up you sexist pig."

Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose, his frustration building. How much longer could this go on before they both said something they would most definitely regret.

"Look, I'm sorry." He finally apologized, trying to defuse the already lit bomb that would soon expand and explode. "I just don't think you're ready for a frontline position."

Now, Ino did look like she was going to explode. "What do you know!"

"Well, let's see. You got beaten by that sound ninja, you drew with Sakura, you were put under a mild Genjutsu, which may I add Sakura got out of-"

"You bastard! I'm stronger than I was before-"

"By three weeks. Don't kid yourself Ino." And then, he nailed the lid of his coffin. "You're too weak to be on the front lines!"

All of Shikamaru's frustration spilled out, echoing into a loud roar which caught all the camps attention. Ino looked distraught, her eyes brimming with tears. She pushed them back, and a fierce look crossed her features. With a loud crack, almost like thunder, Ino slapped Shikamaru.

The sheer shock of the slap sent the lazy genin reeling, and he somewhat rolled down the hill before righting himself. He looked up to see Ino looking defiantly down at him. Her eyes were filled with rage, anger, and sadness.

Shikamaru cursed internally. He hadn't meant that, he didn't mean to be so blunt. She just kept on frustrating him and annoying him and she wouldn't leave his thoughts.

Letting out a frustrated growl he got to his feet and wiped the dirt off of his clothes. Ino then scowled down at him. "I'm getting stronger," she whispered so only Shikamaru could hear, "And I will be able to show you that I can be the best. This time I'm not going to impress Sasuke. I'm going to show you how much I've improved!"

Shikamaru was stunned. She was going to prove herself to him, not Sasuke. For whatever reason, and it was completely bizarre, Shikamaru couldn't help but find himself smiling slightly. This, however, angered the blonde on the hill even more, and she stormed off down the hill, passing the young genin and storming into the trees to train.

Shikamaru turned his gaze towards the camp, and saw multiple concerned eyes looking at him. He simply shrugged, and walked back up the hill.

Such are the wonders of love.

* * *

Finally, after the day's overdramatics, night had finally claimed the small camp of Team Konoha (As Naruto had ever so eloquently dubbed it)

The darkness was only illuminated by the shining crescent moon, it's cool and steely surface broadcasting light but no warmth. The stars flickered every once in a while, telling the now sleeping world that they were present. Well, some weren't sleeping.

Sat against the warm embers of the fire, were two very silent teammates. They sat, side by side, in deep contemplation.

One was caressing his faithful hound behind the ears, his mouth stretched into a toothy grin, and yet his eyes betrayed his deep sense of thought.

The other sat with his back straight, his cool black shades reflecting the flickers of the fire. His grey trench coat whispered along with the wind as a light gust flew through the atmosphere.

Kiba shot a weary glance in Shino's direction. They had barely said more than a few words since the incident at the hospital, and they had all been because of the mission.

The bug nin was far quieter than usual, not that he was loud before, but even he was never this quiet. During planning sessions, he didn't make any signs of cooperation. He just sat there, unblinking. When he was addressed, he answered with a slight nod of the head. It had been two days since Kiba had heard Shino utter a single word. And he missed the sound of Shino's voice.

He was in essence a love sick puppy (No pun intended.)

Why it was constantly directed in Shino's direction, he didn't know. It was a constant battle with himself, just to make sure he didn't rip off his clothes and screw him right then and there. It was considered a blessing and a curse.

"You want to know something funny?"

Now, if any words could have come out of Shino's mouth at any point in time, it had to be the ones that made no sense. "Wh-what?" Kiba asked.

Shino turned, his gaze piercing into Kiba's brown eyes. "I said, do you want to know something funny?"

The dog nin nodded, there gazes never leaving each other.

"My father was going to marry me off."

Now, once again, Kiba had not expected those words to escape from the bug nin's mouth. "Say what!" He yelled alarmed.

"Quiet," Shino hushed his teammates rambling. The dog nin complied grudgingly, running his hands through Akamaru's white fur.

They sat in silence again for a while, the crackling of the fire and the chirping of the crickets. Finally, Kiba spoke once more. "When?"

"In about four weeks. I met her once."

"Di-did you want to get married?" The dog nin asked nervously. God, what was he becoming? He didn't really care if his teammate got married… right?"

"No."

Kiba let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. Before he could speak, Shino interrupted. "I met her once. She was rather pretty, long flowing brown hair, charcoal black eyes. From the Sand, I believe she was."

Kiba nodded intently, his heart beating faster and faster in his chest. He still had a chance- Wait, what. No, he didn't like Shino. Well, he did, just not as a frie- No, not like that!

The dog nin resisted the urge to let out a frustrated growl at his own internal argument.

Shino watched him with calculated eyes. So it is bothering him? Curious.

"Are you alright?" Shino asked.

Kiba's mood seemed to change, like the flick of a switch. His worried expression twisted into one of annoyance. "I was just wondering why you haven't spoken to me."

The bug nin resisted the urge to sigh. Yes, Kiba was acting far weirder than normal. Hormones, he assumed. Although, they were picking a grand time to play up.

Although, in hindsight, as Shino considered it, he didn't really know much about Kiba. Well, he knew he was loud and sometimes obnoxious, but also sweet and caring. He loved dogs, and wanted to become head of his clan. And, his mother was a 'bitch' according to him.

"Kiba." His voice was cool and calm.. "I don't know much about your father."

Now, Kiba's mood was already pretty angry, and yes, he was probably annoyed that Shino hadn't answered his question. And yet, his face, and his eyes, softened into sadness. "What about him?" Kiba grunted.

The bug nin looked at the boy with curious eyes. "You've never mentioned him before."

"There was a reason for that."

Now, that was venomous. Still, Shino had to forgive him. "I'm sorry for prying. I shall go and make us something to eat, if you are hungry."

Kiba muttered somewhat inaudibly, and Shino took that as whatever.

He strolled the only way he can towards a large spit that lay atop the fire. Along the row were a mixture of fish, caught from the stream.. Carefully, Shino released some of his Kikaichȗ bugs, and commanded them to move the two fish from the spit to his hands.

They complied, and soon Shino was strolling over with two fish in his hands.

"That was… an interesting way to remove them," Kiba grinned.

Shino broke his stoic mode for a few moments, allowing the smallest curl of the lips. "It was the most logical way of removing them."

Kiba nodded. They were both glad to have each other back, Shino being the logical one, and Kiba being the mischievous one. That was the way they liked it.

As Shino sat down, however, Kiba's expression turned forlorn. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that," He apologized. "I should never have snapped at you like that."

Shino didn't respond, taking small bites of his fish, compared to Kiba, who was hungrily gnashing at the water based creature. "I suppose I owe you an explanation."

As Shino took another bite of his fish, he quickly went to say that it was okay if Kiba didn't want to tell him anything, but Kiba being Kiba, had already begun.

"My dad was moms second in command," The dog nin began tossing the leftovers of his ravenous escapades at his loyal companion. "They met while doing a mission. Mom used to say it was really corny, how it was love at first bite."

Shino's eyebrows furrowed, but Kiba let out a humourless bark of laughter. "What I said was correct. They met while they were both genin, and the two teams were sparring. Dad had lunged at mom, and bitten her on the neck."

Shino's eyebrows were now raised. This time, Kiba's laugh was truthful. "She beat the living crap out of him, of course. But… she made him take her out for food. They dated ever since. She was smitten, you know. I've never seen her happier then she was with Dad. Completely at utterly devoted."

The bug nin really couldn't imagine a smitten Tsume, one who blushed adoringly. It would almost be as weird as The Aburame's going ballroom dancing!

"Yeah, she was devoted. But he wasn't. He was devoted more to the hunt than to us. He and mom fought and yelled and screamed at each other. But he didn't walk out,"

Kiba's mouth turned into a demonic snarl. "He killed my uncle and fled."

Shino nodded thoughtfully, trying to think up words of comfort. He couldn't. Instead, he asked "Why?"

"My uncle was to be next in line for the clan. He wanted to be more humane, and focus more on the preservation of the clan, rather than the war-mongering ways of my father. So, he called all of my uncle's followers, including nin dogs, into the woods, and slaughtered them."

"How many of your clan were his followers? And to fall so easily to an attack…"

"They were taken by surprise. They thought they were being called for the grand hunt, a special hunt we do once per year. We used to have about eighty or so clan members. We have fifteen now, including me, Hana and mom. He almost wiped us out. Those loyal to him launched an attack on the compound. They numbered at about twenty, compared to the 25 of us. He almost killed us all. But Mom managed to defeat him. He fled. But, he caused so much damage, almost tearing mom apart and completely murdering three quarters of our nin dogs."

Shino was for once lost for words. He had no idea that this was what Kiba's father had done. He had never heard of such a thing.

"It was also thanks to the Aburame that we managed to survive. They came to our aid. All of dad's followers were wiped out, 'cept for him."

Now, Shino was perplexed. This was never mentioned to him, all throughout his years of history with his mother. He would have to ask fath-mother, later.

"Was your father that strong?"

Kiba scoffed. "He's still in the bingo book, marked as S class. Mom may have run the clan, but Dad was the true warrior. He managed to kill quite a few Aburame's as well."

Kiba growled menacingly.

"I don't know where he is, but when I find him, I'll rip his throat out for what he did to mom, Hana and me. I swear it."

The bug nin however, shot him a pointed look. "Revenge is not the answer, Kiba."

"Yes it is!" The dog nin yelled in defence." He deserves everything he gets!"

"That may be true," Shino tried to hush his teammate. "But revenge will consume you. Look at Sasuke."

Kiba turned to the bug nin and frowned. Yes, he had noticed the Uchiha's hungering for revenge. But he wouldn't stoop to that level, would he?

"Don't fall to Sasuke's level. Sure, he's becoming more open with his teammates, but his desire for power is growing. I can see it; Kakashi-sensei can see it. I don't know about the others, but he is walking down a dangerous path Kiba, one that I don't want you to follow."

Kiba softly smiled. "Thanks."

"Motivation is different from motivation, Kiba. Motivate to become stronger, to show your mom that you can be man of the house, not to kill your father."

After Shino's speech, the two lapsed into a comfortable silence. Kiba contemplated the bug nin's words, while Shino was just Shino, finishing off his fish.

"Thank you Shino. That was better than the speech that my mother always gives me when I don't clean the kennels," He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck tenderly.

Shino gave a curt nod, before turning his head to the side. "We should go and change shifts. Kurenai-sensei will be back from scouting soon, and she would chastise us if we did not go to sleep at the appropriate time."

"Yes, I get enough of that word at home," Kiba said, standing up, yawning and stretching.. "Good night Shino."

And with a wave, he trudged off to his tent. And Shino did the same. And both boys were much happier than they were before.

* * *

**Well, I hope you enjoyed character development, and I also want to mention something.**

**I have a forum and community known as Naruto: The Way of the Griffin. This Forum is a fun forum where we discuss Naruto, and other things. I hope you guys will join, and if you have any questions just ask. To all Forum members, happy to have you as friends.**

**To everyone, have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello everybody, and welcome to chapter eleven of The Winds of Change! Wow, you guys are so lucky. I post a new story annnnnnnnnnd a new chapter on the same night, you lucky things. I'm going to keep this short, as I'm tired. I hope you like this chapter, I had fun writing it. All spelling and grammar errors will be changed tomorrow, as it's really late over here in England.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I'm too tired, maybe tomorrow I will…**

Chapter 11: Graveyard

"Why did you bring him along?"

Raion's question filled the air, startling the quiet night. Kataki looked at Raion, his face illuminated by the light of the moon, full of disdain. He didn't respond, however, and continued onward.

Raion grumbled under his breath, his eyes every once in a while darting to the side. Fenris met the brown haired boy's gaze with his own, only his was a lot more mocking. "Hello."

Raion growled, and this caused Fenris to let out a small chuckle. The joys of annoying the stupid.

Gurei tapped his chin in thought as the group stopped for a rest, surveying the scene.

The area was filled with a low, damp mist, thick enough to slightly obscure your vision, but still see through. The graveyard itself was decaying and old, the tombstones covered in moss.

Under foot, all manner of dead roots and flowers could be found, all making a distinctive crunch as Fenris and Raion came to a stop.

"If I may ask," Fenris began, "We are here under the rumour that a small boy told us?"

Raion went to snap at him to be quiet, but found himself silent. He actually agreed.

"That is a good point. Young boys at that age to have an overactive imagination. He might have just imagined it." Gurei finished, taking out one of his many scrolls and examining them.

"Yes. But if it's not his imagination? We don't know what's at work here."

"True. And sensei did tell us to scout this place out till dawn breaks."

"And, why is this graveyard so large?" Fenris inquired. It was true, the graveyard at least stretched out for a mile or so.

Gurei answered. "This place was sight of a large scale battle with Konoha shinobi and Iwa shinobi. It was a bloody battle. From what I can recall, Konoha lost half of the force stationed here, while Iwa lost a third. With the war still going on, they decided to bury all the dead here. And, there were also a large amount of civilian casualties. With the sound invasion happening not long ago, there was a raiding party that attacked the town, being one of the main trading posts outside of the Leaf Village. About five hundred people were massacred."

Fenris took the information in. "Thank you Gurei."

Gurei smiled at him.

Raion looked positively disturbed that there were so many dead here. Kataki nodded, not showing any acknowledgement of the great battle. "Okay. Gurei, send out some of your scouts."

"Already working on it," The grey haired nin muttered as he unwrapped a small scroll.

He took out a vial of ink from his pocket, and let a drop of it fall onto his thumb. He then put that away, and pressed his thumb down onto a small seal at the bottom of the scroll.

"Release."

With those words, there was a small flash of light, and then the small sounds of squeaking. Three mice, all white and watercolour, looked up at Gurei with curious eyes and twitching noses. "Go and scout. Report back in 10 minutes."

With three squeaks of acknowledgement, the three mice fled in different directions.

Fenris, needless to say, was in awe. "How did you do that?"

Gurei looked up at him, smiling softly. "It's a Kekkei Genkei. Forgive me, but I don't feel like explaining it now."

Of course, that meant 'I would prefer not to reveal my secrets to a guy I pretty much don't know'. But, Fenris was fine with that. "Of course, I meant no intrusion."

Gurei smiled softly, before his attention was called away by Kataki.

While those two chatted, that left the two best friends, Raion and Fenris.

Raion crossed his arms, and huffed indignantly. Fenris chuckled.

The brown haired nin's eyebrow twitched. "What are you laughing at?" He gritted.

"You, and your obvious dislike of me. But, why? I wish to know why the fool of the group has it out for me."

Raion turned, his eyes seething. "We can't trust you."

"Well, the others seem capable of it. Is it beyond your intelligence?"

Kataki told them both to shut up, which was lucky, considering there would have been a full on brawl. Fenris apologized, much to Raion's chagrin, and much to the snowy haired nin's delight.

"Right. We're going to leave now." Kataki decided after discussing strategy with Gurei. "Let's-"

Something cracked. It wasn't very loud, but it wasn't quiet either. Gurei turned around, and was met with a grave stone with a large crack that ran down the middle of the tombstone and through the ground right to his feet.

Then there was another crack, and another. Slowly, but surely, the sounds of popping and cracking filled the air, until it became silent.

"I don't like this," Fenris growled, grasping at the hilt of his giant blade that sat on his back.

And he was right. The upturning of earth could be heard as ten skeletal hands shot out from the earth, writing and clawing.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Raion hissed, twisting and turning his head as skeletons shambled out of there holes.

Slowly, the ten skeletons rose from their graves, there empty eye sockets boring into the group of four.

Fenris withdrew his big sword from his back, clanging it dangerously on the ground. One of the skeletons let out a roar, but a voice cut through every one's thoughts.

"So, you dare disturb my sanctuary?"

From the mist, a figure stepped forth. She had brown skin, unlike most had seen in the land. Her eyes were almost coal black, and even the whites seemed charcoal like. She spoke with a thick, heavy accent.

Her clothes consisted of an Akatsuki cloak, highlighted by the moon, and a large bony necklace that hung around her neck. She was thin, and somewhat bony, her long fingernails tracing down one of the tombstones. In one hand, she held a wooden staff, with all manner of bones littering it's surface. An atop the staff, was the skull of a bull, pointy and clean, and through a small crack as a small spear.

"Well," she licked her lips. "Are you goin' to answer my question?"

"Akatsuki." Kataki muttered, withdrawing both of his katana. This woman looked at him, with her coal black eyes, and a small pang of realisation hit her.

"You… your da one they've been searchin' for. Da students of the great Uchiha." Her eyes glittered with a sense of pride. "And I was da one to find dem."

"Back away demon," Fenris snarled at the woman, taking a step forward. "You stink of forbidden things. Leave."

The woman let out a long, throaty laugh. "You da, the one wif the white hair, you want me to leave?"

She tapped her staff on the ground, and the skeletons took a step forward. "Make me child."

"These are the dead!" Kataki roared suddenly, causing all the skeletons attention to focus on him. "You desecrate the dead and buried. Have you no shame, no honour!"

The woman scowled ever so slightly. "I would not be insultin' me boy, unless you want to become one of dem."

The red haired nin's grip on his katana's strengthened. Raion's jaw flexed with eagerness. "Give the order," he almost commanded, and Kataki was happy to oblige.

"Attack."

Fenris moved quicker than the others, raising his large blade above his head and leaping upwards, before it came crashing down on one of them. "Minions, rise!" The woman called, causing more cracks to appear around the cemetery, and more skeletons to claw their way out. But some of these ones were different. They had blue, cold flesh, and their eyes were cold husks. They were the recently dead, some with their innards torn and showing, others missing an arm of a leg.

Fenris ducked a club that soared over his head, before lopping off the legs of one more skeleton, before crushing it underfoot.

Kataki had raced forward, engaging the woman with a furious vigor.

The others were holding out as well, from what Fenris could see as he blocked another sharp object, using the hilt of his blade a pommel to literally crack some skulls.

Raion, orange chakra pulsing through his fists, was tearing up skeletons, sending them and their bones flying. Gurei was taking a much cleaner approach, using his chakra scalpels as saws, lopping off limbs.

And then the other dead got there, and things took a turn for the worse.

These dead had obviously been shinobi, as they ducked Fenris' blow before socking him in the gut. But, they weren't that good, and two were quickly beheaded by Fenris' massive cleave.

"Destroy the head!" The white haired nin called as he blocked a rusty kunai. The others nodded, and Gurei took that to heart almost instantly as he cut a clean vertical line between the nose and the mouth of the dead.

Yeah, Fenris smirked. He was somewhat enjoying this workout.

Kataki's battle had strayed slightly away from the main fight. He was currently swinging furiously at the woman, but she kept blocking her every move. "Tell me child," she said as she ducked another sword swing, "What Is your name?"

"None of your concern!"

With a roar, Kataki jumped over the Akatsuki's head, before swiping at her back, carving her in two. She then disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

Kataki leapt out of it just in time, as a flurry of shuriken embedded themselves in the ground where he once stood.

"Come now child," the woman flung herself at the red haired nin, and he blocked her by crossing his swords in an X like motion. "Tell me your name."

"Kataki." He gritted. The woman raised her arm, and a large hoard of spiders crawled out of her robe.

"And you may call me Shizen." The spiders leapt at Kataki, but he jumped backwards. He chucked his swords into the air as he landed, making a series of hand signs.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A loud eruption of fire flew from Kataki's mouth. Shizen, however, made some hand signs herself. "Death Style: Wall of Bone Jutsu!"

A ravenous wretched wall of bones shot from the ground, taking the impact of the fireball. The sound of shattering filled the air, and the bone's all collapsed to the ground. But Shizen was still standing, much to Kataki's chagrin. "Come now child, Show me da true powda of the Rimen clan."

The red haired nin's eyes could have caused shitting of the pants.

He brought one of his katana's to his arm, the length of the blade running from his shoulder to his wrist. And sliced.

The sharp eerie sound of flesh being sliced filled the air, and Fenris looked to see Kataki slicing himself with his own blade.

Blocking a blow and stabbing one of the dead through the ribs, he looked at Gurei. "What's he doing!?"

Raion was the first to answer, smashing one of the dead in the head as it came up behind Fenris. "He's using his Kekkei Genkei."

Fenris didn't get a chance to ask, as he was already embroiled in another battle.

The light trickle of blood felt warm on Kataki's skin, and it rolled down his arm and began to pool on the floor. Then, he did the same thing with his other arm. The thick blood felt good in his palm. Shizen watched expectantly, her mouth curled into a smirk.

"So, you cut yourself?"

Kataki smirked. "No. You're the one that's going to get cut."

Without warning, a tendril of blood shot out from the pool, it's point sharp. Shizen leapt out of the way, but the tendril split into three more small tendrils. For a few moments, Shizen dodged and ducked and parried the deadly spikes, before one curled around her leg.

"Got you."

The other two tendrils sped downwards, looking to impale the black Akatsuki member. They did in fact, but she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kataki, however, anticipated the assault that would come, and made a hand sign. Four walls of blood formed around, just in time to block the large array of explosive tags.

Shizen, however, had also predicted his movements, and sprang up from the ground underneath Kataki's feet. She made a few hand signs, before calling "Wind Style: Death's Gale Jutsu!"

A forceful blast of wind sent Kataki high into the air, and she leapt after him.

As she went to impale him with her staff, he blocked with his katana.

"Impressive child," she muttered as they engaged in a mid-air weapon battle, Kataki using tendrils of blood to keep him and Shizen upwards.

However, Kataki was the better sword combatant, and, blocking the staff with one katana, brought the other down hard on her shoulder. Shizen flinched in pain, as Kataki pulled the blade out and went to thrust it at her chest.

"No!" She roared, before something shot out of the ground. A large tendril of bone wrapped around Kataki's arms, and forcefully yanked him down. Before he could create a shield of blood to lessen his fall, Shizen was already coming in after him.

"Death Art: Bone Senbon Jutsu!"

Raising her fingers, an array of small senbon made of thick bones travelled fast towards Kataki. He grunted in pain as each and every one of them embedded itself in his stomach, before he was thrown to ground with a loud thud.

Shizen saw this as her opportunity, and swiftly raised her staff to stab Kataki. She came down, but the staff was stopped by his katana. However, that didn't stop her feet, which smashed into his ribs, causing at least one break.

"My my, you are a brave one," she smirked maliciously, putting pressure on the injured ribs. "I thought you would have cracked by now."

"Bite me, bitch!" he spat, blood now lathering her face. "And you are the foolish one for underestimating me."

Where the pool of blood originally was, a single figure rose. It was Kataki, covered in thick red blood, and he was already making hand signs.

"Blood Shuriken!"

The blood clone span around, before he let loose a large shuriken made entirely of blood. It split into three, and headed for one target. Shizen.

The woman quickly swore, before leaping off Kataki. The red haired nin leapt upwards, and performed a substitution with his clone. The shuriken passed through the clone harmlessly, tearing up dirt and rock as they went. Shizen cursed as she dodged one, before another came hurtling towards her from the other side. She managed to evade that one, before she roared. "Enough, these childish games end now! Amulet of Arkay, awaken!"

There was a loud rumbling, and before Kataki knew what had hit him, something large and ferocious had leapt up from the ground. The beast roared, and Kataki could tell it was about 20 feet tall. But, that was all he saw. The beast ran forward at a breakneck pace, and the blood nin didn't have time to put up a barrier. The gargantuan monstrosity charged into Kataki, and he was sent flying backwards, tearing up the earth. The beast roared, and continued forward at a slower pace, continuing the hunt.

Kataki raised his bruised body, his eyes flickering towards the giant that lumbered towards him. From what he could tell, nothing was broken. Yet.

The red haired nin raised his katana, and prepared for the fight of his life.

Fenris heard the hulking roar before he could see the monster. His eyes swiftly travelled and widened when he saw the outline of a beast walking towards a downed Kataki.

Shizen cackled madly as the monster came ever closer.

From what Fenris could tell, the monster had a dark grey hue that glistened with some unmentionable stick substance. Parts of its skin was torn enough, revealing the decaying bone of old. The monster was wide, thick and chunky. Its arms legs were like tree trunks, and his arms like a mountain.

Fenris snarled. "Gurei, keep them off me!"

He ducked a blow from a piece of bone, gifting the wielder a friendly kick to the ribs. Gurei looked at him like he was insane, before he turned to see the giant monster.

"The hell is that!" Raion yelled.

Gurei nodded to Fenris to go, and the white haired nin did just that, sprinting through the hordes of undead.

Kataki backed away slowly as the monster got ever closer. Its mouth opened, revealing soggy wet gums that were covered in black saliva. "Back away," The red haired nin commanded, making a hand sign. "Blood Cage!"

The tendrils of blood started to swarm around the monster like the rings of a chain. Soon, the monster was encased in a thick cage made of blood. The monster roared in anger.

Kataki, however, was forcefully knocked forward by Shizen, who had run up behind him while the crimson nin was doing his Jutsu. He collided with the rock hard cage, and winced as he felt blood trickle down from his forehead to his mouth. It tasted sickly sweet and sour, all at once.

Shizen came at him again; ready to impale him in the back. Kataki, however, was a bit quicker than she estimated and smoothly got out of the way, ducking and turning around just enough that his katana was just level with her stomach.

Her staff, however, had pierced the monsters foot. With a pained roar, it thrashed around relentlessly, destroying the cage that was holding the beast. As the tendrils turned into liquid blood, and once again fell to the ground, Kataki charged with his katana.

Shizen, however, had made hand signs. "Death Style: Bone Tendrils!"

Long lines of bone shot up from the earth, wrapping around Kataki's wrists, holding him in place.

"Shit!" he swore internally as the monster raised its giant foot, ready to crush and grind Kataki to dust.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh hhhhh!"

With a fierce battle cry, Fenris leapt high into the air, before thrusting his sword deep into the monsters shoulder. It roared in anguish, giving Kataki enough time to command his blood to pull him free, just in time, as the foot came crashing down.

Shizen let out a frustrated shout, leaping up into the air behind Fenris. "Death Style: Bone Senbon!"

Raising her fingers, an array of senbon shot from her fingertips. The white haired nin pulled out his giant blade with a sickening squelch, and quickly pushed off from the beast, deflecting the senbon away.

"Foul demoness!" Fenris yelled in defiance as his blade clashed with her staff. They struggled in the air for a few moments, before they fell to the ground and charged at each other again. It was a flurry of slashes and parries, stabs and deflections. The white haired nin, however, proved to be the better at weapon combat. With a loud cry, his leapt upwards, leaping over the staff. He then used the hilt of his blade as a bludgeon, slamming it hard on Shizen's skull.

"This ends-"

Fenris didn't have time to react as the beast, with its unimaginable power, had picked up a chunk of earth. With a high pitched shriek, the clump was thrown. Fenris narrowly leapt out of the way, but was knocked backwards by the force of the throw. He righted himself quickly, just in time to dodge another one of Shizen's Bone Senbon Jutsu. This went on for another few minutes, Fenris just dodging and deflecting all the senbon, keeping him far to occupied to notice Kataki's predicament.

The crimson haired nin was rolling and slashing at the legs of the monster, causing oozing wounds of black blood. But, he was getting tired and slower, and every move the monster made was getting more erratic and unpredictable. Eventually, Kataki slipped up.

Using one of his katana's as leverage, he used it as a pole, and jabbed his other katana deep into the knee. However, the monster was prepared for this, and automatically fell on one knee. Kataki didn't have time to fully get out the way, and one of his legs was caught, but not crushed fatally.

Kataki switched from his stomach to his side, and made some hand signs. "Fire Style: Fire Bullet Jutsu!"

An array of small pellet like bullets flew from Kataki's mouth, scorching the monsters face and chest. It roared in pain, and stepped backwards, allowing the crimson haired nin the opportunity to-

"Kataki! Fenris, we need help! Gurei called.

Fenris swiftly blocked Shizen's staff thrust and kicked her in the gut, knocking her on her ass. He turned and was met with a rather bad sight.

Raion had an axe of some kind stuck in his shoulder, his face covered with small cuts and bruises. His fists were dimming, and the undead were overwhelming him. Gurei was faring better, being quicker, but every blow he took from a club or axe was far more jarring. The dead finally one out as one of them ducked Raion's strike, rearing back its own fist and socking him in the face. Too weak to fight back, he was then repeatedly beaten with clubs and axes, before he was knocked backwards forcefully into Gurei by one of the bigger dead.

With Gurei momentarily weakened the dead used this as an opportunity, and smashed a club hard into the back of his head. He clutched it, and let out a racked moan of pain.

Fenris gritted, his teeth, before running full speed towards Kataki, "Kataki! Raion and Gurei-"

It was all he needed to say. Kataki dodged past Fenris and straight for his teammates. He dodged past a couple of Shizen's Bone Senbon, making numerous hand signs as he sprinted. Finally getting into range, he leapt into the air and yelled, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A huge eruption of flame emanated from Kataki's mouth, scorching all manner of undead. Raion himself quickly made some hand signs of his own, "Earth Style: Earth Dome Jutsu!"

Slamming his fist into the ground, a dome of earth quickly enveloped the small area, shielding them from the humid heatwave.

Kataki smirked in relief as the dead all fell, blazing like beacons in the night. Raion let his earth dome subside, and panted heavily, his chakra almost fully used up. Gurei himself stood shakily, and began to heal Raion's wounds with as much precision as possible, even though that wasn't much.

However, there peace didn't last long as the dead rose, there flaming decaying bodies stinking far harder than they had before.

Gurei gritted his teeth. They couldn't hold out for much longer at all.

Fenris had never thought he would die being crushed underfoot. Sure, he had thought about dying, even killing himself. But Orochimaru's lap dog would never allow that, oh no. He would have brought him right back to life, that silver haired bastard.

How he got into this position? Stupidity, that's how. While Kataki was busy defending his teammates, Fenris had elected to distract the monster. And it went fine, until he forgot about Shizen.

The wound on the back of his leg throbbed painfully. The bitch had stabbed him straight through the back of the knee. He could barely move his leg. His sword lay a few feet away, completely out of reach. Shizen had forced him down, and now the monster would crush and grind him underfoot.

He hated to admit it, but it pained him. It pained him to know he would never get to watch the life drain out of Orochimaru's eyes as he squeezed down on his neck, or watched as his throat spurted blood all over the walls and floor, or his intestines leaking out of the giant hole that his sword had caused. It was all just a futile dream. He cast a glance over to Kataki, torn about what to do. Go help his teammates, or go help the former slave of Orochimaru who he just met two days ago. Yeah, hard choice.

And so, Fenris awaited his death calmly, waited for the feeling of being pulverised and crushed. He waited, and waited, and waited. It never came. All he could hear was faint harrowed breaths, and the bellows of the monster.

Cautiously, the white haired nin opened his eye. What he saw shook him to the core. Kataki was stood there, using his katana as a tool for holding up the giant's foot. He turned, his face covered in blood. "Go," he called out weakly, and when Fenris didn't, he called out harder and booted the former slave in the stomach, knocking him backwards.

Fenris had never seen something so brave. To risk oneself for someone you've barely known for two days…. The thought baffled the white haired nin. What had he done? Argued with Raion, helped a little bit in the search for his missing partner, helped with fighting? That shouldn't-couldn't be enough to save his life. And yet, he had.

Kataki's back strained to near breaking point as the monster put more and more pressure on his foot. "Foolish boy," Shizen cackled, before running forward. Using her staff, she sliced the back of his legs. With that crippling blow, it was over. With a loud thud, the monster won out, crushing Kataki.

Fenris stared. Anger boiled up inside him. This boy, this man he had known for two days had just risked his life for him.

He stood up, the curse seal on his shoulder flaring dangerously. Kataki had been more of a friend then he had ever experienced in his entire life. With a new resolve, blue chakra began to flow through the root like tattoos, turning them an illuminate blue.

Well, no more.

Fenris, inside his own head, swore an oath to Kataki. From now on, he would protect him with his life. Fenris wanted a new master, but one that was honourable. And he would be damned if that was taken away from him now.

**So, how will Fenris' oath affect the battle? Will his curse seal change the course of the battle, and what abilities does it possess? Tune in next time to find out. Thank you for reading, and have a nice morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I return! Yes, it is I, Zerojackson, back with chapter 12 of The Winds of Change! How has everybody been? Good? Great! Myself, I have been very busy over the summer. I've been on holiday, and other things involving family. I am sorry for the hiatus, but, I have some more bad news.**

**I am starting school again in the next few days, meaning updates may be lessened. Not to a great extent hopefully, but chapters for everything may take longer to come out.**

**Annnnnnd, since we reached chapter 12, and over 40 reviews, I have a special treat for you all. But, you'll have to read the chapter first!**

**So, without further ado, here's chapter 12**

Chapter 12:

Gurei felt it before he saw it. A feeling, something dark mounting in his stomach. It was chakra, but it was different. Unnatural. The light blue light reached his eyes, silhouetting against the darkness. "Fenris…." He muttered slowly.

"Gurei! Use your paintings!" Raion roared as he crushed some more of the overwhelming dead. Gurei nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small scroll. He threw it on the ground as it unwrapped by itself, revealing a large pack of water coloured wolves. "Release!"

With a loud cry, Gurei thrust his thumb downwards. There was a bright flash of white light, drawing the dead's attention. A stream of twelve or so white wolves leapt from the light, tearing and gnashing at the dead. Gurei smiled. The battle had truly begun.

Fenris felt his curse mark unlocking. He didn't care. The blue chakra pulsated and throbbed through his veins. This only made him stronger. The beast before him let out a guttural roar, its foot still firmly planted on Kataki. Not for long.

With a roar of his own, Fenris leapt into the air. "Die beast!"

With those venomous words, the white haired nin cocked his fist back and swung. The beast was knocked back as the fist connected with its face. Fenris wasn't done yet, and continued this assault of barbaric swings.

Kataki rolled over, the pain in his ribs very unsettling. He knew that some of them were broken. Using some of the blood inside his body, he began the painstaking process of slotting them back into place.

He could hear the sounds of battle, of Fenris' roars and the clubbing of fists.

His thought process was short lived as he felt a foot on his back, pushing down hard. "Foolish boy, ya should have stayed down."

Shizen raised her staff high into the air, and….

"Leave him alone!"

Fenris socked the monster for the fourteenth time, before he twisted around and dashed off to Shizen. The woman didn't know what hit her as a fist with the same power as a ton of bricks crashed into her. She was flown backwards, and landed with a thud.

"Kataki!" Fenris called out in worry, kneeling down slightly. "Are you-"

He didn't have time to finish the sentence as an array of bone senbon flew towards the duo. Fenris grabbed Kataki bridal style and leapt backwards.

Shizen growled, before giving chase.

Fenris deposited the blood nin on the ground before quickly dodging a staff swipe. He cursed as he remembered he had left his sword back where they originally were.

This momentary weakness had cost him, however, as Shizen had begun to make hand signs. "Death Style: Poison Bomb!"

Shizen pulled her head back, before spitting out a large purple glob of liquid.

"Poison! If Fenris gets hit by that…"

Kataki didn't have time to voice his opinions as Fenris bravely leapt in the way of the bombs, taking all the damage as the poison exploded. They left a thick purple haze, and Shizen smirked. She had got them, no way that they had survived. That was her most potent poison-

A fist socked her in the gut, and she staggered backwards. Fenris stood there, his blue markings pulsating. "Bitch," he snarled, grasping at her throat. Shizen was gobsmacked. Fenris should have been poisoned.

Kataki was thinking the same thing. How had he managed to deflect the technique and remain un-poisoned?

However, the crimson haired nin's attention was drawn to the large mound of earth being chucked at his teammate. "Fenris!"

With that cry, the white haired nin threw Shizen away from him and leapt back just in time to avoid being crushed. Shizen took this as an opportunity to escape, and briefly dashed away. The large monster roared as it began to run towards the two ninja.

Kataki shakily made his way to his feet, with the help of Fenris. The white haired nin cursed as the cumbersome monster loomed ever closer. His curse-seal fluctuated.

Would he let it go further? Would he be able to stop himself from causing massive harm to his allies?

"Fenris," Kataki called out, blood dripping down his chin. "Get your sword."

Without another word, Fenris dashed towards his large blade across the clearing. Kataki quickly made some hand signs, and managed to finish them just as the beast got within crushing distance. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A large ball of flame erupted from the blood nin's mouth, and collided with the big monster, knocking the wind out of him. With a searing cry, he went to crush Kataki with his large hand. He didn't have a chance. With a load roar, Fenris leapt upwards, before he slashed with his blade at the monster's neck line. The blade managed to cleave through the rotting neck, and the monster's head fell off its position and onto the floor with a thud.

Kataki grimaced. The use of the fireball Jutsu had not done much for his insides, and he felt all the work he had done to try and place his ribs back in their original place become undone. He didn't have time to begin work again as Fenris has scooped him up in his arms and leapt out of the way of the monster's lifeless body.

The loud thud echoed around the battlefield.

* * *

Gurei knew it was over. Even though Kataki had sent that large fireball that roasted most of the dead, they kept coming. They never stopped. They were constantly recycled, the ones that were struck down rose up a few minutes later. They just kept coming.

Gurei was running dangerously low on chakra. He had ten percent of his reserves left. That wasn't much, and, coupled with the amount of cuts and bruises, he was feeling weak. But not as weak as Raion.

The grey haired nin looked over to his teammate, who was kneeling on one knee, dealing with the momentary respite. He was covered in a thick sheen of sweat, mixed with dirt and blood. He panted heavily.

He heard the moans again. Gurei looked up, and they were coming again. The horde. He rose shakily to his feet. Was this how he was to die? Against the undead. Oh, the irony. However, Raion rose to his feet, far more shakily then Gurei had.

"Gurei…. Shockwave."

The grey haired nin jolted slightly, realising the implications of that statement. Quickly, he pulled out a scroll, slighter bigger than his other ones, and opened it. He then slammed it to the ground, placed his palm on the seal and yelled. "Release!"

There was a blinding light, and a single caw of a bird was heard, before the flapping of wings echoed across the battlefield. A large water-coloured eagle rose from the light, it's black eyes scoping the surrounding area.

Gurei sat perched atop, waiting.

With a loud cry, Raion leapt out of the light. His right hand began to pulsate with orange chakra, until it was engulfed by a large ball. The ball then morphed as he came down, into the head of a lion. "Lion Shockwave!"

Raion's chakra enhanced fist hit the earth with such a force that a shockwave billowed out. It sent all the undead flying, some even being buried underneath the upturned earth. When the dust settled, Raion lay unconscious, a rather large crater having been formed by his technique. His breathing was ragged and rough. Gurei gently sent the eagle downwards, before quickly leaping off, scooping up Raion into his arms and placing him haphazardly on the eagle. He then leapt back on, and the eagle took off into the sky.

Gurei cast one last look over at Kataki and Fenris. From what he could tell, Fenris was holding off the Akatsuki member with his sword, while Kataki lay behind him. He grimaced. He didn't want to leave them…

"Good luck," the grey haired nin uttered, before he flew off. He would inform Itachi, and he would come and help. They would get out of this alive.

* * *

Fenris had fought strong people before. He had fought against Orochimaru. And lost. He had fought against his bastard of an assistant. And lost. And now, he was fighting against an Akatsuki member, a person he had sworn to protect behind him. He was, however, feeling confident. The familiar feel of a blade in his hands egged him on, and slowly, he forced Shizen backwards. They were locked in a stalemate, resorting to a battle of steel after the monster fell. Fenris was winning. He knew that. Shizen had a deep gash that blood oozed out of, located on her stomach. Her face was bruised, badly. And her grip on her staff was faltering.

"Demoness, you shall not have him!" With an demonic roar of his own, Fenris' skin fluxed with blue chakra. Before Shizen could react, Fenris used his right hand to punch the Akatsuki member in the stomach. She reeled, and Fenris used this to his advantage. Grasping a hold of his sword, he raised it high above his head, and…

There was a loud squelching sound. Shizen screamed something intelligible as her left arm dropped lifelessly to the floor, her staff with it. Blood pooled from the wound, and she fell backwards onto her butt. Fenris loomed over her, his sword raised, ready to cleave into her head. Kataki watched from behind him, but knew better to let out a sigh of relief. He winced as he felt one of his ribs fall back into place. That left three more, hopefully Fenris could-

The white haired nin had brought his sword down. But Shizen was not there anymore. Instead, she stood a bit further away, having jumped and ultimately saved her life.

Fenris lifted his blade onto his shoulder, unperturbed. "This is the end for you, witch."

Shizen, however, smiled maliciously. "No-" she wince in pain, and clutched her bloody stump. "No my Child, dis is the end for you!"

Fenris saw it only for a split second. A seal, a summoning seal had formed on her hand. And with her hand caked in blood…

She slammed her hand down onto the ground… Silence. No sound was heard for the longest time. And then, rumbling. Low and distant. But it was coming.

Shizen smiled once again. "Goodbye, my children, have fun wiv da beast."

A loud voracious roar echoed from the ground. With an explosion of earth and dirt, a huge beast rose up. Kataki's heart skipped a beat. There, standing before them, was a dragon. He had heard legends about these dragons before, long extinct beasts that roamed the lands before shinobi ever existed. But, they were all extinct. But, he could tell this beast was extinct. Mainly by the fact that it was made solely of a dragon's skeleton. Thick, white bone. No innards, no flesh, no scales. Nothing. And yet, it still functioned.

Its empty eye-sockets bored into Fenris' soul. He grunted, before pointing his blade at the bone dragon. "Foul beast, leave." He demanded.

The dragon cocked its head to the side, almost as if mocking the white haired nin. It let out a large roar, and twisted around.

"I've got to. Second Curse Seal O-"

He didn't get to finish the thought. The dragon's tail smashed into the tattooed nin, sending him flying. Long spikes had embedded themselves in Fenris' side, being on the tail and all. He went soaring in the opposite direction and crashed into the dirt.

Kataki let out a shaky breath. Fenris wasn't moving. The blue glow had subsided. Shit.

The crimson haired nin looked up. The bone dragon leered down at him, it's teeth dripping with some unknown liquid. Kataki stood up.

"Well then," he muttered, clutching at his injured ribs, "Looks like I'll be using the last of my chakra."

On top of the dragon, stood Shizen. She was smirking victoriously, but her face was still contorted in pain. Her hand was pulsing with a green chakra, most likely a Healing-Jutsu to stem the blood flow, and stop her from bleeding to death. "You cannot win child, give up."

Kataki smiled ever so slightly. "No. Maybe I can't. But you won't either!"

He quickly made some hand-signs. Slowly, blood began to pool extremely fast from the cuts on his wrist. Soon, it was up to ankle level, and still rising. A feral look appeared in Kataki's eyes, and he yelled, "Crimson Bind!"

Tendrils of blood shot forward, wrapping around the dragon's mouth, leg's, tail and wings. Shizen cursed, and leapt out of the way as a tendril shot towards her. Leaping down from the giant beast, she let out a cry of despair. She could hear cracking. Slowly, the tendrils of blood were constricting the bones, the beast writhed in agony, trying it's best to break free from its prison. But it could not.

With a thick crunch, one of the dragon's legs splintered, the fragments dusting the floor. Followed by another, and then the tail. The dragon fell to the ground, still writing as the tendrils, bit by bit, crushed and mangled its body. Soon, the tendril around its mouth soon expanded up its jaw and chin, until it was just below eye level. Crack

The dragon stopped struggling. And slowly, only large shattered bone fragments and white dust remained. Shizen, however, was still grinning slightly.

Kataki's vision was fading. Rapidly. With one final look over to the horizon, and the new day beginning, he collapsed.

The sun was ever so slightly peaking over the horizon, and it illuminated the battlefield.

Corpses of the fallen, strewn about like dead leaves. Ground upturned, gravestones shattered into tiny pieces. Crack's from Raion's shockwave, ink stains from Gurei's art. And, of course, blood. Lots and lots of blood. And Shizen, well, she stood victorious. Or so she thought.

Three senbon hit her in the side, and she hissed in pain. She turned her gaze towards the horizon, and scowled.

Utsuro stood there, her white hair blowing about in the breeze, the orange colouring of the sky a stark contrast to her white kimono. And she was smiling. She closed her eyes.

"Child, leave at once, you cannot best me, I am da-"

Utsuro was behind her in a moment, a sick demonic smirk plaguing her lips. "I'll show you death," she hushed into Shizen's ear. She began to make hand signs, before slamming her palm on the ground hard.

Six mirrors sprung from the ground, their frames made of bright silver. They flanked her, two at her back, two at the front, and one on each side. And in each and every one of the mirrors, was Shizen's own reflection. Looking at her. She tried to take a step back, and whirled around as she came into contact with the mirror. Her stumped ached painfully. But her reflection didn't have a stump. It had claws.

Inhuman, brown claws shot out of the mirrors, each one embedding in Shizen's stomach, back and head.

Utsuro stepped through one of the mirrors, her sick smirk still playing on her lips. She ran a finger down the bloody face of Shizen, and started into her fear-filled eyes. She made a hand sign.

"Oni-Kagami."

The claws ripped from Shizen's body, taking chunks of flesh, and her arm. And her head. The headless stump spurted some blood in a last defiant stand, before she collapsed in a heap. Utsuro stepped over her body. And she stared. In the mirror in front of her, however, her reflection disappeared. It was replaced by a man, with long white hair, and deep, cold grey eyes. He wore nothing. "Good job, my dearest niece," he cooed. And then, the mirrors shattered, and the glass droplets turned into dust.

* * *

Kura watched from the shadows. Or rather, as a shadow. She was standing just a little behind Shizen when Utsuro interrupted. And what she saw chilled her. The aura that this girl was producing was… unnerving, to say the least. Grotesque hands shooting out of those exquisite mirrors, and tearing chunks of flesh of the victim. That wasn't what bothered her though. She had seen more violence, more gore than most in her lifetime, and that didn't bother her. No, what did bother her was the fact that the entity in the mirror called Utsuro his niece. Demon's didn't have human nieces, unless… No, she couldn't make assumptions, not just yet. As a secondary shadow slithered away from Utsuro's, a singular thought crossed Kura's mind. "I'll be keeping an I on this one."

* * *

Kataki awoke with a start, his head throbbing. Wait, did he pass out? He had to go and save Fenris, kill the Akatsuki-

"How are you feeling?"

Gurei loomed over him, a Diagnostic Jutsu scanning the crimson haired nin. Kataki scowled. "What happened."

"You didn't answer my question."

"What. Happened. Gurei."

Said nin smirked. "We won. No casualties."

Kataki breathed a sigh of relief, and cringed when a sharp pain went up his through his ribs. "Try to control your breathing. Your ribs are broken and cracked out of place. I've done all that I can, but, I presume you'll be able to do the rest?"

Kataki nodded, and Gurei continued, "Good, then you'll be ready for action in two days. Until then, no strenuous activity."

"Can I get out of bed?"

"Yes, go for a walk, you must be aching. Just don't overdo it, and remember, no-"

Kataki was out the door before Gurei could finish speaking. The grey haired nin sighed. No doubt going to check on the team.

Kataki was pleasantly surprised to find the group sat around a fire. It was grey and cloudy, making telling the time impossible. The group were chatting amongst themselves.

Raion sat on his own, his eyes dancing with the flames of the fire. Fenris clutched at his bandaged side, but seemed content with listening to Kura, who was telling him something nonsensical. And to do with sex.

Utsuro sat beside Kura, and was also listening intently to Kura's prattle.

And, well, Itachi was his usual stoic self, leaning against a beam of rotting wood, his eyes closed.

"How long was I out?"

Itachi's eyes opened a crack. "A day," he replied.

Fenris seemed far more alert then before, and practically sprang up. "Kataki!"

"Hello, Fenris," Kataki replied, slightly perturbed. His mood changed as soon as he noticed he was there. Strange. The other's didn't have the same reaction, only a smile from Kura and even a small smirk from Raion. Utsuro remained indifferent, as did Itachi. No surprise there.

Fenris was still stood up. "Uh, at ease Fenris."

The white haired nin nodded quickly, before sitting down. But his attention was still rapt on Kataki.

Kataki coughed awkwardly, and leapt over the wooden rail. The layout of the farmhouse definitely showed it was once owned by a farm owner. The bottom floor was a big room, and then there was another room at the back, where everyone took shifts sleeping. On the top floor, was a room that was most likely a chicken coop at one point, but had been cleared. Gurei used this as his medical place to practice Medical Ninjutsu.

"Is everyone okay?" Kataki asked as he took a seat next to Raion.

"Chakra exhaustion." Raion replied, stretching. "But, at least I wasn't out for a whole day."

"Hmph, were you any help to the battle, or did Gurei do all the work?"

"Can we banter later," Raion yawned, "I'm tired."

"Sure, I look forward to it."

"Wait!" Kura yelled suddenly, her pointed gaze directed at Kataki and Raion. "Are you planning to have a banter battle without me?"

Kataki chuckled, before wincing. "Oww… don't make me chuckle, my ribs are barely holding together as they are. Anyway, Fenris, how are you feeling?"

Fenris straightened up, almost as though he was in the army, waiting for his drill sergeant. "I'm doing well. My injuries will be healed in the next day or two."

"Good. Glad to see you're okay. You took a pretty big hit during that fight."

"I assure you, this will not affect my combat performance," Fenris said forcefully. Kataki shrugged.

Itachi coughed into his hand, before saying, "We still have the matter to discuss about Fenris and Utsuro." He directed his gaze towards them. "Utsuro. You were told not to leave the basement area, and you disobeyed a direct order. However, you could have escaped, but you didn't. I thank you for saving my students."

Utsuro smiled. Kura watched her from the corner of her eye. There was something wrong with this girl, she could tell.

"And Fenris. You did remarkably well, defending Kataki and standing your ground."

Fenris, however, didn't reply. His eyes were still glued on Kataki. "Yeah, you did well," Kataki agreed. The white haired nin's mouth curled into a small smile.

"Thank you." It was, however, more directed to Kataki than Itachi. But, nonetheless, the Uchiha continued on,

"I would like to invite you to join our group, if you wish. As long as it's okay with the others."

The invitation hung in the air. "I'm fine with it," Kataki agreed.

"I'm cool," Kura said.

"I'm too tired. Sure, whatever," Raion replied, yawning.

Everyone (except the half-asleep Raion) turned to face Utsuro and Fenris, eager to here there verdict.

Utsuro was the first to answer. "Sure," she smiled brightly," There's nothing else I can do. I'd be happy to tag along."

"No."

Kataki turned to Fenris and scowled. "What do you mean, no?"

Fenris flinched at the tone of the blood nin's voice, but continued. "I will not go with you as a travelling companion, instead, I wish to serve under Kataki."

Said nin raised his eyebrows. "Serve under me?"

"Yes. I would be honoured to have a master such as you. You are a strong and selfless warrior, and I will follow you to the ends of the earth and back as your loyal servant, if you will have me."

Kataki opened his mouth, and closed it again, to dumbfounded for words. "Okay, I uh, guess."

Fenris smiled. "Thank you."

Kura started looking between the two of them, until she smirked. "So, which one is on top?"

And the whole room metaphorically facepalmed.

* * *

**Ah, sex jokes. Kura's very good at those, bless her. Although, I don't think bless and Kura should ever be in the same sentence…**

**But, I digress. Now, I promised you something special for this chapter. As some of you may or may not know, I originally wrote another WOC, and I did indeed post it onto this site. However, it was crap. Plotholes, and the like. But, there are a number of things that have changed from this version, and some things that have stayed the same, more or less. So, I'm going to tell you some of them:**

* * *

**The council meeting was non-existent.**

**The café scene was non-existent.**

**It was not revealed that Kakashi was on a mission to find Itachi until a fair way into the arc, and no explanation was given.**

**Sakura's kidnapping was portrayed differently.**

**The Sasuke and Naruto scene at the beginning is still pretty much the same, as are the scenes with Hinata after that, but made to be more realistic and actually make some sense.**

**The fight scene with Joukei at the house took place on the training field where Naruto, Kiba, Shino and Hinata were, and Sasuke did join them.**

**Neji and Lee did not feature, at all, and did not come on the Sakura Rescue mission. Neither did Kurenai.**

**Fenris and Utsuro were not included in the other version.**

**The waterfall scene with Tali was not featured in the earlier version. In fact, the scene introducing my Oc's was them finding the barn.**

**Tali's kidnapping was not shown, and The Akatsuki who rode on a hawk was not featured at all. The battle was Shizen was not featured.**

**And, finally, The Sakura rescue arc was finished within 50,000 words. After that, I stopped, when I realised my story was crap.**

* * *

**And there you have it! I'm sure there's plenty more that I can't remember, but these are the main ones. If I think of anymore, I'll update you guys next chapter.**

**As always, Chapter is proofread yet, because I like to post chapters as quickly as I can. Updated version will be out tomorrow hopefully.**

**Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night.**

**PS: And I would also like to thank Arashi for being a good friend and a useful reviewer :D.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello everybody, and welcome to the thirteenth chapter of the Winds of Change! Now, I do have a confession to make. This chapter really doesn't advance the plot that much, it's mainly just a way for me to input a few things. And, we're so close to fifty reviews! I'm so excited! But, enough of my yammering, on with the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 13:

To say things were tense with Team Rescue Sakura was a bit of an understatement. In fact, they were as tense as things could be. Kakashi watched the ticking time-bomb with curious eyes.

Tenten stood on the opposite side of Neji, every once in a while glaring daggers at him. He remained indifferent, and that annoyed her even more.

Kakashi took a glance backwards, to check on the other quarrelling couple. Ino stood away from Shikamaru, her face completely turned away from the lazy nin. He didn't seem to mind, as it seemed he was deep in thought. But, you can never be sure with Shikamaru.

The group were currently travelling through a light forest. Not exactly dense, but not easy to walk through either. They were taking it slow for now, resting after a long day of running ninja style through trees and over dirt.

Sasuke hung back, very close to Hinata. Naruto was walking forward in his unique confident ways, deep in conversation with Shino and Kiba. To the side of them, Kurenai was walking, her wine red eyes fixated on Kakashi. He gulped. His luck with woman hadn't been good, considering Anko almost jumped him without consent, and Tsume tried to kill him. And it didn't look like it would getting better anytime soon.

Gai was chatting animatedly with Lee, although the smaller Green Beast seemed as though his heart was completely in it.

"We need to talk."

Kurenai's voice made him shiver slightly in fear, but the copy nin nodded. "Okay everyone, hold up."

The group did so, regarding their leader with curious eyes. "We're stopping for the night, here."

He gestured to a medium sized clearing, big enough to contain their tents, and still have some breathing room.

"No, not here, somewhere larger."

Kakashi locked eyes with Kurenai, and nodded wearily. "Okay," he called, causing Kiba and Gai to stop unpacking a tent. "We're going to walk for a bit longer. Let's go."

* * *

Eventually, after another hour of travelling, Kakashi found a spot that was akin to Kurenai's requests. It was a large clearing, and the combined width of the tents would only take a quarter of land, maybe less.

And so, while everyone began to unpack, Kurenai dragged Kakashi away.

It turned out that Gai was there too, and he greeted his eternal rival with an exuberant thumbs up.

"Right, let's get down to it then. What the hell have you been teaching those kids!?"

Oh Kami, no…

"W-why do you-"

"You've taught them nothing Kakashi, nothing!"

The copy nin hung his head in shame, but soon raised it. "Actually, that's not true. I taught them the tree-climbing exercise, and taught Sasuke the Chidori."

Kurenai's eyebrow twitched. "And, what have you taught Naruto and Sakura? I spoke to Naruto a while ago, and asked him what you had been teaching him. He said nothing."

"Well… things?"

Kurenai sighed deeply, before she put a hand on the copy nin's shoulder. "Listen, this mission is dangerous Kakashi. They need a bigger arsenal if they even have a hope of standing a chance."

Kakashi thought for a moment. It was true, what had he taught them? He'd been doing teamwork exercises this whole time, and that was all. He hadn't taught them any Ninjutsu, nor any Genjutsu or Taijutsu. He didn't even know their Chakra Nature. And so, with a sigh, he mumbled an agreement.

Gai scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Excuse me, my youthful rose, but what am I doing here when I could be helping put up the tents with the power of-"

"You're just as much in the wrong as Kakashi."

Gai was flabbergasted. "B-but, why?"

"You've focused almost entirely on Lee, and neglected the other people in your squad, particularly Tenten. I know Asuma has been teaching Ino and Shikamaru some Jutsu, but you guys haven't. We're rectifying this today."

She reached into her pocket, and pulled out four pieces of chakra paper. "Determine Sasuke, Tenten, Neji and Naruto's Chakra Nature, and teach them something. I'll get the other's chakra nature, and then we'll teach them some stuff. Okay?"

Kakashi and Gai nodded, and Kurenai smiled sagely. "Good, now here's the plan…"

* * *

"Yosh! My most youthful genin, come over here! We are about to begin!"

Naruto's head shot up from the peg he was hammering into the ground. What was about to begin? "Yo, Bigger Bushy Brow, what's goin' on?"

Gai flashed a smile. "Why, we're beginning the most youthful training session in the history of youth. I can promise you that you will all learn a new Jutsu!"

Sasuke perked up at this as well, his eyes flashing with determination. Naruto's mouth curled into a smirk. He wouldn't be beaten by the Teme, not this time.

They both rose at the exact same time. Sasuke's gaze locked with Naruto, silent sparks crackling through the air. It was on.

And, they both took off towards where Gai was standing.

When they arrived, they discovered Kakashi, with Icha Icha in hand, standing next to a beaming Gai and a smiling Kurenai.

"So, uh, Kurenai-sensei, you said something about training?" Kiba inquired.

"Yes Kiba. Kakashi, hand them out."

Kakashi calmly walked over to the line of genin, and handed Naruto, Sasuke, Neji and Tenten some chakra paper. "Right," Kurenai began, "Channel chakra into the paper. The affect it has will determine what Chakra Nature you have. If the paper ignites and turns to ash, you have a Fire Affinity. If the paper crinkles, you have a Lightning Affinity. If the paper is sliced in half, you have a Wind Affinity. If the paper becomes wet and damp, then you have a Water Affinity. If the paper turns to dirt and crumble away, you will have an Earth Affinity. If you have a particular affinity, those specific types of Elemental Ninjutsu will be easier for you to master. Give it a go."

Neji's paper was the first to react. It turned into dirt and crumbled. Kurenai smiled. "Congratulations Neji, you've got an Earth Affinity."

The Hyȗga shrugged. His clan never used Ninjutsu, so why bother now? It didn't matter.

But then, a thought occurred to him. His clan didn't use Ninjutsu, at all. That, would make him unexpected, and give him an edge.

Kurenai continued, "Naruto, you want to give it a try?"

Said genin nodded vigorously, before a sure of concentration crossed his features. His paper was cut straight in half. Kurenai cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "Wind? Hm, well, there are only a few people in Konoha who know Wind Jutsu…"

She trailed off, her red wine eyes locking with Kakashi's solitary eye. He nodded his affirmation. Good, he did know some. "Tenten, your turn."

The brunette genin nodded, before channelling chakra into the paper. To her bewilderment, it crinkled.

"Lightning? Hmm, well, you can put that to good use."

Tenten smiled.

"And, finally, Sasuke."

The Uchiha only grunted. The paper, as expected, crinkled.

"Right, that wraps that up. We'll split into groups. Tenten and Sasuke, Kiba and Shino, you head with Kakashi. Gai, you take Neji, Shikamaru and Naruto, and I'll take Hinata and Ino."

And, with that, the two groups split off from each other.

* * *

"Yosh! Welcome to the most youthful training exercises thought up by my fellow Jōnin, Kurenai!" Gai boomed.

Neji's eye twitched. "But, before we get to training, I must ask you a question…. Shikamaru!"

With his large finger pointed in the lazy nin's direction, he beamed exuberantly. Shikamaru sighed, before rubbing the back of his head. "Troublesome…. Before you ask, my Chakra Nature is water."

"Water! Such a fine and youthful part of nature. Very well!"

Naruto elbowed Neji in the ribs, much to the Hyȗga's disgruntlement. "Do you know what he's going to be teaching us?"

Neji shook his head. Naruto grumbled something, but it was soon lost under the large amount of sound waves that belonged to Gai. "Now, we shall commence training! Neji, my most youthful student, will you step up!"

Neji did so, begrudgingly. "Now, Neji," Gai's face took a serious tone. "I do apologize for not learning your chakra nature sooner. However, we can rectify all that training now!" From his…. (Well, nobody knew where. Do spandexes even have pockets?) spandex suit he pulled a scroll.

He placed it into Neji's outstretched hand, who regarded it curiously. "In this scroll is an Earth Jutsu that, while basic, will help you out in the long run."

Neji nodded, and Gai gestured over towards a patch of grass. And so, the Hyȗga took off. And that left two.

"Alright! Shikamaru-"

He was cut off as Shikamaru raised his hand. "My dad already gave me something to learn from." To prove his point he pulled out a scroll with the Nara seal emblazoned on the front from his pocket. He looked positively distraught about actually having to do it. "Very well, you may do that."

With an annoyed sigh, Shikamaru trudged off. And that left one.

"Naruto! We shall work on your Taijutsu and weapons training today! Come, let us begin!"

Naruto groaned.

* * *

Kurenai smiled at the two girls standing in front of her. One, she knew very well. Her student, Hinata Hyȗga, while shy and nervous, had a remarkably strong will, and was a pleasure to teach. She didn't know much about the other girl, Ino, but she had heard she was quite a bossy, but a good person. Still, she was here to teach them about what she did best. Genjutsu.

"Okay girls, for now, I'm going to show you a Genjutsu."

Without waiting for a reply, Kurenai flashed a few hand seals. Almost immediately, both girls felt as though there whole bodies became ridged, and they slowly fell to the floor with a thud. As hard as they forced, they couldn't seem to break the paralysis.

"That is a B rank Jutsu, known as the Sense's Paralysis. It tricks the senses into assuming one has no control or power over one's own body, and as a result, lock's up."

She walked over, and pulled a kunai from her pouch, before pressing it against each girl's neck and doing a slitting motion.

"See, it's rather effective. If, however, you can break out of it, you can do it. That's the trick with Genjutsu. If you can escape it, you can use it. Give it a try."

Hinata, unable to place her hands together for the hand sign for her Byakugan, quickly uttered a small "Release."

It didn't work, however, and Hinata was stuck. Ino, however, managed to break free on her first try, before she realised Hinata. Kurenai smiled at them. "Okay girls, that's good. Ino, I want you to practice this Genjutsu on a clone of mine, and Hinata, me and you will go and train up your Genjutsu breaking abilities, okay?"

Both girls, nodded, and went to step away, before Kurenai let out a ah of thought, and said, "Wait! I forgot I was going to teach you something else. Right, here we go."

And, once again, before the girls could even react, Kurenai flew through some more hand seals. However, to both girls' pleasant surprise, nothing seemed to happen. "Attack me, but Hinata, don't use your Byakugan," she commanded.

Ino pulled a kunai from her pouch and charged forward. She sliced at Kurenai. And she hit nothing. Ino then felt hands gripping her arms, and pushing them forcefully, but gently, onto her back.

"Hinata, your turn."

Hinata swallowed the lump in her throat as she saw Kurenai, who a second ago was standing in front of Ino, now behind her. But, she had been ordered. And so, she charged.

With a kunai in hand, she went to slice at the feminine figure. She missed. She fell flat into the dirt.

Ino and Kurenai stood behind her, a look of shock on the blonde's features.

Hinata quickly placed her hands together as she stood up, and muttered, "Release."

Kurenai smiled as Hinata turned around. She let Ino escape from her grasp, before saying, "That Genjutsu is the Flicker technique. It's a B level Genjutsu that tricks your opponent into believing that you are in one place, but instead the real you has moved behind them, ready to slit their throat."

Hinata and Ino both nodded.

Kurenai's smile widened. "Good, let's continue…."

* * *

"Alright," Kakashi drawled lazily. "Let's get started."

His rag tag group had assembled, waiting for instructions. "Okay, I'll just get the quickest one done first. Tenten."

Said girl perked up at the mention of her name. Kakashi instructed her to come over, which she did so gladly. "Take out a kunai," he commanded, which she did. He grasped it in his hand, and sent a small charge of lightning chakra into the blade. It crackled lightly.

"What you're going to work on, is channelling your lightning chakra into your weapons. Usually you would start with something more basic, but we don't have time. Hopefully by the time we rescue Sakura, you'll be able to do this," and with that, the kunai turned a sheen of static blue, and he threw it at a nearby tree. The trunk exploded, leaving a giant hole. Tenten's mouth was agape.

"Practice that. Shino, Kiba, come here."

Both boys obliged, and Kakashi eye smiled. "I have two techniques to teach the both of you. One specific for each of you. Kurenai said you had an Earth Chakra affinity that is correct?"

When they both nodded, he continued, "Right, the first is this," he made a few hand signs, turned away from the boys, before plunging his hand downwards and shouting, "Earth Style: Earth Wall Jutsu!"

A wall of earth formed from the ground. Kakashi turned to face the two genin. "This is the technique you will both practice by yourselves. Kurenai has already gone through basic Chakra Nature control, and I'll come and check your progress when you're done."

They both nodded, and went to train.

Sasuke stood as cold and indifferent as ever. Kakashi eye smiled at his student. "Ready to learn something new?"

The Uchiha merely grunted, but stepped forward. "The technique I'm going to teach you was an Uchiha technique."

Sasuke immediately perked up, his eyes filled with morbid curiosity and annoyance. "Before you ask," Kakashi cut the inevitable question, "I didn't teach you it already because your chakra reserves weren't big enough. But, they are now."

Sasuke calmed down slightly, allowing Kakashi to finish.

"Okay, this technique is rather dangerous, and is an A rank technique at best. It's the Fire Style: Explosive Wave technique. The basic premise is that it releases a large dome of fire from the person, useful as a destruction tool and a defensive tool. But, it takes massive chakra doses to use. This means I can only show you once. Are you ready?"

Sasuke nodded, and leapt backwards.

Kakashi quickly went through the hand signs, before shouting, "Fire Style: Explosive Wave!"

A huge dome of fire erupted from Kakashi, almost like a dome of orange, and yet flamely light. Sasuke could feel the heat scorching him from a distance. That was a powerful technique. And one he could use to defeat Itachi.

When the light faded, Kakashi was standing in a smouldering crater, Icha Icha in hand.

"Show me what you've got," he commanded, "But only do little explosions. We don't want to waste all your chakra."

* * *

Naruto's bruises had bruises had bruises. Kami, Gai hit hard. They had been training for about an hour, small explosions and lightning charges flashing around them. And he was hurt. Really hurt.

Gai gave him exuberant thumbs up, his teeth flashing white. "Excellent young Naruto, are you ready for another round!?"

Naruto groaned. Lee hobbled over, regarding Gai with hopeful eyes. "Sensei, perhaps I could-"

"Lee," Gai silenced him, his usual jovialness replaced with a sense of grim stoniness. "You need to rest. Go sit back down."

Lee's condition, in fact, had improved. Well, he could now move his leg without massive flashes of pain. But, he was looking paler. And he was moving slower than before, more stunted. Weaker.

Lee's eyes put up a weak resistance, but sighed, his gaze turning downward, before he turned and wandered away.

Naruto watched he go, a pained look on his face. God, he hated seeing Bushy Brow like this. So… dishevelled.

"Naruto, let's get back to training." Gai's voice seemed to have gotten deeper, and slightly quitter. Naruto exchanged a quiet nod with him. And, they got into their fighting stances.

* * *

Kiba panted slightly as he slammed his palm into the ground for the thirteenth time that day. A mound of earth, about a foot higher than him, rose upwards. But, it wasn't as big as Kakashi's. The dog nin cursed. He just couldn't do it.

Akamaru let out a low whine at his master's frustration. Kiba had sent him to lay down and watch a few metres away.

The wall of earth descended back into the earth.

As it did so, Kiba caught the tail end of Shino casting the very same Jutsu. However, when he slammed his hand into the floor, a wall about three feet higher came into view.

Kiba let out a growl of frustration, before he recommenced training, making the same hand-signs.

* * *

Tenten bit her lip as she concentrated. Easy, easy…

She channelled a bit of chakra into her kunai, and threw. She cursed as it swerved off course, a crackling sound emanating from the metal. It hit a tree. But not the right one.

Tenten could just not get her head around it. She could do the channelling part no problem. The real problem was the way that the lighting seemed to send the kunai off course. And Tenten never missed. Until now.

She hastily withdrew another one, channelled chakra, and repeated. It veered off course, and caused an explosion as it connected with a tree trunk, pieces of bark flying everywhere.

She let out a loud angry cry. Nothing was going right for her. Lee was injured, Neji was being a dick, this training wasn't working, Ah!

With a loud battle cry, Tenten yanked out another kunai, channelled a large amount of chakra into the blade, and threw. However, the angle that she threw it in caused it to spin. And it connected with the target. She blinked, disbelieving. The explosion was big and loud, but she had hit the target.

The kunochi reached once again into her pouch, and pulled out another kunai. She angled it so that when she threw, it would twirl in the air. She channelled a small amount of chakra into the blade, and threw. It spun in the air, far faster than the eye could track. And, with a crash, it hit the tree she had been aiming for.

Tenten felt like screaming. Why didn't she think of it sooner!? She had been trying to copy Kakashi perfectly, but it obviously took practice to throw it without spinning. So, it was also a form of chakra control, as well as practicing with weapons.

With her brown eyes filled with determination, Tenten began her training once more, reinvigorated.

* * *

Sasuke could feel the sweat pouring off of him. Literally pouring. It was like a waterfall. But, it was needed.

The charred black crater reminded him of his hair. He wouldn't be beaten.

Kakashi watched him from afar, his gaze not giving anything away.

Sasuke could smell the burning ash that surrounded him, the way it filled his lungs. The way It burned. The way the smoke stung his eyes. But it didn't matter. He would find him, and kill him.

He did the hand signs that he copied from Kakashi, and yelled "Fire Style: Explosive Wave!"

A small dome of pure magma erupted from the boy. It stayed there for a few seconds, devouring everything and anything near it. And then, it subsided. And it left those onyx eyes. The eyes of an avenger.

* * *

Neji was a prodigy. Everybody knew that. He was good with Hyȗga techniques, and yet was a branch member. He had the Byakugan, a bloodline, and a very useful one. He had nothing to fear. Naruto had shown him he was free from restrictions, and he could show that he could become a strong capable warrior without relying on fate, or anything. Then what was the feeling curling in his gut like a snake.

No, he knew what it was. Guilt.

Neji hated the feeling. But, it was well deserved.

He thought back to that match, against the blonde boy. His words, they showed him the path. The path to be free of his cage. Then why did he feel like he was slowly falling back into it. And, why did it feel as though it was getting tighter.

He turned his gaze slightly to the side, his cool eyes glancing and scanning over Lee. He lay against the bark of a tree, pale as snow, his eyes usually full of life dim.

Neji's face contorted ever so slightly. He turned back to the earth scroll he was studying.

Neji Hyȗga was a prodigy. And the ice that had held his cold demeanour for so long, was melting.

Ino was finished with her Genjutsu. She had done it to the best of her abilities, and as hard as she tried, she couldn't perfect it any more. At least today anyway. That didn't mean she had run out of chakra, oh no, but it meant that she was bored. Bored enough, in fact, that she wanted to try some of the Yamanaka techniques her father had been teaching her.

She quickly told Kurenai-sensei and Hinata that she was going to train by herself, and dashed off into the woods.

She found, not too far in, a small clearing between the trees. It would do.

Ino took the scroll out of her pocket, unwrapped it, and quickly glanced through it. Yeah, she knew the theory. Now, to continue the practice.

She placed the scroll back into her pocket, before her eyes scanned the area. She let out a contented hum as she found her target. A small rock.

Putting her hands into the position of the Yamanaka technique, she closed her eyes. And then opened them.

Around the small rock, a small coat of blue chakra, smoky and watery at the same time, appeared. And, with an intense look of concentration, the rock slowly lifted upwards. She beamed at it, happy at her success. The rock had never gone that high before, and it was still climbing. This could be-

The rock lost its coat of chakra at hit the ground with a thud.

She stared at it for a moment, before her mouth set into a grim line. She then picked up the rock, and threw it as far as she could, listening to the sounds of it bouncing off the trees and growing quieter and quieter, until the sound completely vanished.

She smiled. Good, that rock was following the rules. Hopefully, the other one would.

* * *

Hinata had noticed him before Naruto had. Well, at least she thought she had. Naruto may have spotted him, and perhaps just ignored him. It didn't look like that though. But, he could tell he was busy sparing with Gai-sensei. So, perhaps that was why he didn't notice.

Of course, it was most probably just her Byakugan, and not herself. She couldn't really do anything by herself, or so she thought anyway.

But, he was watching from the cover of the trees.

Hinata continued going through her Jyuuken techniques. After Ino had left, she had asked Kurenai to continue training the motions that her father had wanted to teach her, but couldn't because of the mission. And, because the Genjutsu, while she could perform and now debunk it, just wasn't good enough. She just wasn't good enough.

She didn't dare sigh, or make a sound. Her father, if he taught her anything about how she was to be a typical Hyȗga, was not to show emotions in one regard. She never sighed, nor never said no. That was what she was. That was what he had tried to craft her into. A perfect Hyȗga heir. And, even then, she wasn't even a normal Hyȗga.

She saw the man shift, but didn't react, instead her mouth popping open into a o shape. She knew who it was. She didn't notice it was him, because it had been so long since she had seen him, and he was pushed firmly into the back of his thoughts, but, it was-

There was a loud puff of smoke, and something leapt out of the trees, causing Naruto to scream and jump backwards, landing on his behind.

And, standing right before the blonde Jinchūriki was…. A toad? Or, to be more specific, a giant red toad.

"Pervy Sage!"

The man stood atop the toad regarded Naruto with a cold stare. "I told you not to call me that, brat!" The man with flowing white hair yelled.

"Jiraiya of the Sennin! It is good to see you!" Gai exclaimed loudly.

Jiraiya absentmindedly waved to Gai, before his attention was once again on Naruto. "So, how you been kid?"

Naruto scowled. "How have I been!? Where the hell did you run off to!"

Jiraiya let out a small chuckle, and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I was doing, well, research-"

Naruto leapt at him. "You bastard, you were doing research! I need training!"

Jiraiya simply stepped to the side, and laughed as Naruto sailed over the toad and into the foilage.

"Well, I'm here now!"

At this point, Naruto's head snapped up. "You're here to train me!?"

Jiraiya smiled. "Yes, I am in fact. But, I must speak with Kakashi."

As if on cue, Kakashi, with his famous book in tow, walked over towards the group. "Yo. You wanted to see me?"

The Toad Sage nodded, leaping down from his toad as it disappeared in a puff of smoke. He gestured away from the group.

"Hey, where are you going, you said you were going to train me!"

"Go talk with your girlfriend, brat," He gestured to Hinata.

Her face turned a deep crimson, and she looked faint. Jiraiya chuckled.

When they got to an acceptable distance away, Jiraiya's face turned from jovial to serious. "I know about your mission."

Kakashi's eye crinkled. He wasn't going to bother asking how. He was a Sennin, after all. Jiraiya continued without pause, "While I think it was a stupid idea bringing along the Uchiha, I think it is a good plan."

"How do you know? About Itachi, I mean?"

"I was sent a letter by Sarutobi, telling me to help you in any way I can. I don't have much to offer, so I'll make this meeting brief. I'm searching for my teammate, Tsunade. I haven't been able to locate her anywhere. But, that's not the main reason why I'm here. There have been reports of a terrorist group known as the Akatsuki."

Kakashi nodded. He had heard about them.

"They're trying to round up, from what I can tell, all the Tailed Beasts. So, a target of theirs might be-"

"Naruto," Kakashi cut in, "So that's why-"

"Yes, that might be why they kidnapped your student. But, I do have some mission information for you. Apparently, my sources tell me that Itachi Uchiha was once a former member of the group, but quit. Meaning he could have valuable information about them. This makes your mission that much more important."

Jiraiya's eyes turned downcast. "I can't help much, I'm afraid. I need to look for Tsunade. She's….. Well, I can't tell you right now, but I need to find her, for the good of the village."

He turned his eyes upwards, and smirked. "But, I can teach the brat some useful things while I'm here, if only for a little while."

Kakashi nodded. "Okay then. I'll keep an eye out for Tsunade, and if I see her I'll send you a message."

With a nod of thanks, Jiraiya turned around and walked forward, before calling out loudly, "Hey, Naruto, ready to learn something!?"

The blonde turned, his eyes filled with excitement. "Yeah!" He sprang up from his seated position under a tree, and ran forward.

He reached the Sennin quickly, and with a bright smile, Jiraiya gestured into the forest. "Let's find a private clearing. I'll teach you something amazing!"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, and went to sprint, but was stopped by Jiraiya's hand. "Wait a minute brat," he said, "I need to do something quickly."

With that, he let go of Naruto's hand, and yelled loudly. "Hey, uh…. Hinata! Yeah, that's it. Come on, we're going training!"

Hinata blinked owlishly, before nodding sheepishly. And so, with a small smile, he waited for Hinata to catch up, before turning around and walking in the woods with the two genin in tow.

It certainly was going to be fun.

* * *

**And that's that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and have a great Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello everyone, and welcome to Chapter 14 of The Winds of Change! My god, it's been forever, and for that, I apologize. I've been busy with work and life and stuff. Just finished this chapter tonight, so expect mistakes. But, I'm now officially back! Sorry for the lag in updates, guys. It won't happen again, promise!**

**But, there has been an even greater achievement. WOC has reached 50+ reviews! You have no idea how happy that makes me, thank you all soooooooooooooo much!**

**I would also like to thank some reviewers, such as Dosu2Dinner, KiyumiArashi, Eternally, and, of course, many more. Thank you all for your continued support, you all mean the world to me.**

**Anyway, on with the chapter!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Enough said.**

* * *

Hinata was having trouble keeping up with Naruto. But, in all honesty, so was Jiraiya. The blonde boy had been so excited at the prospect of learning a new Jutsu that he was bounding through the forest at top speed, dodging all manner of foliage to reach his goal.

Hinata watched him, a small smile playing on her lips. Jiraiya watched her, a small smile playing on his lips. Yup, she was smitten with him.

Jiraiya, contrary to popular belief, was actually very observant. Years of 'research' led to fantastic stealth training. But, there was also the information gathering, the idle gossip of women in the bathhouses, the hot-springs. Some of his most valuable leads had been discovered while he was peeping. Jiraiya was a super pervert, that much was true, but he was also an information broker, gatherer, and a Sennin.

And so, this led to the obvious conclusion that she was smitten with the blonde. But, he didn't know if it was a crush, or something more.

Of course, what most didn't know is the fact that Jiraiya had another reason to come here. In all honesty, he wanted another student. Why? He didn't honestly know. Naruto was good and all, but he needed to train someone calm, someone who wouldn't call him a Pervy Sage, and someone to hopefully keep the blonde level headed. That person was her.

Of course, it would not be the way he had trained, or would train Naruto, no. Naruto would always take priority. Hinata would be his pet project. And she would help with the training he had in mind today.

If there was one thing, however, that Jiraiya knew about Naruto, it was this; he was as thick as a brick wall.

Now, Jiraiya wasn't a paedophile (They needed to be at least over eighteen before he would even consider looking at them) but he could tell Hinata was beautiful. Big, lavender eyes, filled with warmth, milky soft skin, and not to mention her long blue hair. Add in the large amount of curves, and you have yourself Hinata Hyȗga. How Naruto had not jumped on that, he would never know.

But, of course, somebody else did know. A rather bizarre person, to say the least.

* * *

_Jiraiya watched Naruto fight with Gai for a long while. It was obvious he was outmatched, but he was improving. And, with the training he had in mind for him today, he would soon become very powerful. And then, his eyes darted across to the young Hyȗga heir, who was practising her Gentle Fist movements. She had noticed him, and without using her Byakugan to boot. It certainly was impressive. Yes, he would do some training with her, too._

_He stood up from his crouched position, but paused briefly as he went to bite his thumb to commence the summoning ritual. Oh, he was being watched. And by… Oh, interesting!_

_Jiraiya swiftly turned around, and crept away from the training area, and proceeded to walk into the forest._

* * *

_He had walked quite far away from the camp, the sounds of sparring fading, before he stopped. He stood in a small clearing, with large, tall trees blocking the sun's rays. It was a rather cool area, and a great place to do some writing. Jiraiya made a mental note to come here to plan his next book, after he had gathered the source material, of course._

_However, he was not here for that now, as someone had subconsciously wished to have a meeting._

_A figure dropped before him, his eyes dark and cold. "Sasuke," Jiraiya greeted._

_Sasuke didn't respond, just kept his gaze fixated on the Sennin. "I thought you were training with Kakashi?"_

_"That's not important," he finally spoke after a moment, "But you need to do something for me, old man."_

_Jiraiya cocked his eyebrow up. "Really? Are you asking, or demanding?"_

_"Demanding."_

_Jiraiya let out a laugh, "Well, I've got nothing better to do, let's hear it."_

_"You write those filthy books that Kakashi-sensei reads, right?"_

_"You not a fan?"_

_"Quiet you filthy hermit, and let me finish. If you wrote those books, you obviously know something about love, right?"_

_The glint in the Sennin's eyes was downright mischievous. "So… you finally decided to admit your feelings to Naruto?"_

_Sasuke's mouth popped open and his eyes went wide, before he started gagging. "N-no," he stuttered slightly. Wow, he made an Uchiha stutter. Next, all he had to do was make a Hyȗga and an Aburame do the Tango, and his life would be complete._

_"So, you and Kakashi-"_

_"Quiet!" Sasuke roared, his eyes pulsating with fiery anger._

_Jiraiya waited for him to continue, when he didn't, he said, "What, so you and Gai-"_

_The Sennin dodged a punch sent his way, laughing gleefully._

_"I'm just kidding brat," he held his hands up in surrender as Sasuke prepared to make hand signs; "I was only teasing. Now, what did you ask me?"_

_He tapped his chin in thought, and walked briskly over to Sasuke. "So then brat, tell me," he poked Sasuke in the stomach, "Who do you like enough that you came to 'The Love Doctor, Jiraiya!?"_

_Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "It's not about me you warty asshole, it's about the Dobe and the Hyȗga."_

_"Naruto and Neji? I didn't really think that was…"_

_Jiraiya leapt out of the way of a fireball, before briskly putting out the now smouldering trees with a Water Jutsu. "Okay, okay," he wiped the tears from his eyes, "I know who you mean, Hinata and Naruto, right?"_

_With a nod of affirmation, The Toad Sage shrugged his shoulders. "What do you want me to do about it?"_

_Kami, this guy was almost as annoying as Naruto. Almost._

_"I want you to help get them together. Train them both, or something, I don't care."_

_"Oh, but you do, don't you Sasuke? Why else would you want to help them?"_

_"It's for the mission," Sasuke retorted coldly," Hinata's constant stuttering and feinting around Naruto is a constant distraction and a nuisance. It needs to be taken care of."_

_"But, that would mean you would be a team-player, almighty stoic badass," Jiraiya smirked. Sasuke resisted the urge to use that once a day use of the Chidori. And his restraint was slowly slipping._

_"You see brat, I think you do care about Naruto. You just don't want to admit it, you want to help him. Make him happy. That's so sweet."_

_Sasuke went to do the hand-signs for the Chidori, but Jiraiya held up his hand as his face turned serious. "I'll help. I'll try and get them together. To be honest, how the brat's not jumped on that, I will never know."_

_"You better pervert, otherwise I'll grind you into dust."_

_"Yup, you do care."_

_And, with a parting glare of malice, Sasuke leapt off into the trees._

_Jiraiya smirked somewhat, before tapping his chin. Interesting. Very, very interesting. Training just got a lot more fun._

* * *

When they arrived at the small clearing, Naruto was pretty much shaking with excitement. "Hehe," he grinned," Let's learn a new Jutsu!"

Jiraiya rolled his eyes, and gestured for Hinata to go stand near him. "Okay," he began, doing some stretches. "Today, I'm going to try and teach you a very special technique-"

"What's the technique Pervy Sage!?"

Jiraiya shot Naruto a steely glare, before he continued, "In fact, this technique was used and created by the Fourth Hokage!"

Naruto's mouth popped open and Hinata let out a small gasp. The Fourth Hokage? One of the greatest ninja's that ever lived!?

If Naruto was excited before, he was insanely happy now. You could feel the happiness and joy radiating off him. Jiraiya braced himself…. Here it came….

"I'M GOING TO LEARN A TECHNIQUE THAT THE LEGENDARY FOURTH HOKAGE CREATED! BELIEVE IT!"

With a roar to match Gai's, he fist pumped in the air happily. Hinata watched him, her cheeks tinted with a pink blush.

"Jiraiya-sensei, wh-what shall we d-do then?"

Jiraiya smiled. One of them was smart enough to listen, at least. "A good question Hinata. First, allow me to demonstrate the technique."

Jiraiya lifted his hand upwards slightly. For a second nothing happened, but then a swirling ball of blue energy appeared in his palm. The Toad Sage rushed forward and slammed his palm into a tree trunk, shouting, "Rasengan!"

The tree was utterly obliterated, splinters of wood flying in all directions. When he was done, he turned to admire his students. Naruto's mouth was on the floor, while Hinata's big lavender eyes were filled with curiosity.

"S-sensei," she began, tapping her two fingers together, "You didn't use any hand signs…."

Jiraiya nodded his affirmation. "Yes, that is correct. The Rasengan is an extremely useful technique, as it can be used with absolutely no hand signs whatsoever. Perfect for a quick attack. It is also a power tool, capable of destroying even the hardest of structures. I'm not, however, going to tell you how it works, or what its true capabilities are quite yet. Instead, I am going to give you some challenges. These three steps are needed to be able to use the Rasengan, here."

Jiraiya reached into his pack, and threw Hinata and Naruto both a water balloon. "The first step," he began, but was soon cut off as Jiraiya got a face full of water. Naruto laughed loudly and uproariously, and Hinata barely managed to suppress a small giggle.

"Right," Jiraiya gritted, chucking Naruto another water balloon. "Your first step is channelling your chakra into your palm, and making it spin in one direction. I presume, Hinata, that you've learned water walking and tree climbing?"

She nodded, and he smiled, "Great! The way to complete this challenge is to burst the water balloon, but only use your chakra, and spin it. Nothing else."

"Alright Pervy Sage, we've got this! Right Hinata!?"

"Y-yes," Hinata called out shyly.

"Great!" Naruto exclaimed, clasping his hand in hers, "Let's go practice."

And with that, the blonde dragged the long haired beauty away from their sensei. Jiraiya chuckled. Hopefully Hinata would provide the brains that would allow Naruto too progress far quicker than originally intended. If Jiraiya's calculations were right, by the end of the week, they would at least both be on the third stage. Kami, he was getting soft in his old age.

* * *

Two hours. Two hours of constant training and Naruto still hadn't gotten it. He had tried multiple times to spin his chakra in one direction, but every time he did, he couldn't keep it going for very long. It was frustrating.

What annoyed him even more was the fact that after the first hour of training, Hinata had managed to conquer the first stage! Sure, he was happy for her, and all, but here he was unable to complete the first stage, while she was going on with the second.

Pervy Sage had explained to her that, coupled with the spinning of the chakra technique she had just learned, she would now need to produce a stronger concentration of chakra to add to the spin of chakra, effectively making the Rasengan a powerful force, like a hurricane. Hinata was practicing with a rubber ball, and it looked significantly harder than the water balloon. But, he was still on the first stage. And he needed to improve.

"N-Naruto?"

The blonde Kyuubi vessel snapped out of his thoughts, and stopped channelling chakra to the water balloon. He turned, and faced Hinata. She blushed slightly, but asked, "Wo-would… you like so-some help?"

Naruto opened his mouth, and closed it again. Did he want help? Hinata was really good at this, and he needed to improve.

"Okay!" he yelled exuberantly," Teach me how to burst the balloon."

Hinata nodded. "C-can I take a look at your ch-chakra network?"

When Naruto nodded, she activated her Byakugan. She regarded his pathways with curious eyes. "T-that's weird," she began, "Th-there's two types of ch-chakra there. Ones blue and the other's o-orange."

Naruto's eyes hardened slightly. "Is that why I can't do it?"

"I do-don't know. Try doing the water balloon technique a-again."

Naruto did so, and channelled chakra into the water balloon, and began trying to spin it in one direction. As hard as he tried, his chakra kept going one way, and then the other. He growled in frustration.

"I-it seems as th-though the two chakra types are p-pushing each other back, so it makes it im-impossible to channel chakra in any particular di-direction, because of th-them fighting against one another."

Naruto nodded his understanding, and silently cursed the damn fox to oblivion. Stupid furball screwing up his training.

"Wh-why don't you try separating yo-your chakra apart, so only one r-remains?" Hinata asked.

"But, how would I know which one to separate?"

"D-does the orange ch-chakra feel any different?"

Naruto concentrated hard. Not re- wait, wait…. Yeah, there was something there. It felt just a tad warmer. Not by much, but noticeable nonetheless.

"Yeah, the orange chakra's a bit warmer than the other one."

"T-then try and use that as a m-means of separation. Focus on ex-extracting the warmer chakra away and focus on b-bringing in the cooler chakra."

Naruto nodded, a lopsided grin on his face, "Thanks Hinata, you're the best!"

Hinata's face turned bright red.

Atop a tree, Jiraiya watched as his student, with a new found vigour, picked up the water balloon and tried again. She was the brains, and he was the brawn. Yeah, definitely by the end of the week.

* * *

The subtle splashes on the concrete floor were beginning to get on Sakura's nerves. Her pink hair was a rancid mess, covering her face like a wet dog.

She shook a little from the cold, and turned over to try and get comfortable on her bed. How long had it been now? A couple of days, at least?

A soft humming was emanating from the end of the room. Sakura was too tired to open her eyes, or smack the young girl round the head. These last few days had been boredom intensive. However, under the insistence of Tali, and her own will, she had begun to train. It was simple, really. Tali had recommended to her that she begin channelling chakra into her hands and feet, and release it in small bursts, causing massive damage. She said a teammate of hers could do that effectively. And so, Sakura had set about trying to do it. It was rather difficult, and even now she could only channel a miniscule amount of chakra into her hand. Her strength was already decent, and yet as hard as she tried, she could not make a dent in the wall, or even crush a rock. It was very frustrating. And, of course, the food situation wasn't helping either.

And Kami, she wanted to rip her hair out and eat it. As if on cue, her stomach let out a low growl.

Her emerald eyes flicking open, she managed to catch the subtle drip on her nose. She frowned at it.

"Can't sleep?"

Sakura's eyes flitted over to where her cellmate sat, crossed legged, on her bed.

The blonde, while looking tired, still kept a constant smile. It reminded her of Naruto. Only without the orange.

"Yeah," She muttered, rubbing some dust out of her eyes. "Anything happen while I was asleep?"

Tali shook her head, a soft yawn emanating from her mouth. "Nothing. We haven't had food in two days."

Sakura's stomach responded to that with a harsh growl. The pinkette frowned in discontent.

"Cheer up."

Sakura's head snapped upwards. "Cheer up?" She asked incredously. Was this girl on drugs? How the hell could they cheer up?

Tali nodded her smile ever present, "It could be worse."

The pinkette's teeth were gritted together as she held back a growl. "Yes, but that doesn't mean we've got it good now!"

The blonde's eyes widened slightly at Sakura's tone of voice, but quickly changed into a slanted position. "I never said that. I said it could be worse."

Sakura sighed. Fighting wasn't going to get them anywhere. Tali seemed to know that too, as her eyes regained their childlike demeanour. She leaned back against the stone wall, her soft hum returning.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose slightly, before lying back on her lumpy bed.

* * *

"Get up."

Tali hissed into Sakura's ear. Almost instantly, the bubblegum haired girl's eyes were open. The room, if possible, had gotten darker, signifying that it was night time. How long had she slept?

"What's going on," Sakura mumbled with a tired yawn.

"They're coming. I can hear their footsteps. Get up. Now."

And, with that, she retreated back to her own bed, and lay down. Soon, Sakura could hear it too. The pounding of footsteps on stone, the rumbling laughter.

No sooner as she went to rise up, the door to their isolated room swung open.

His face was covered with a black mask, obscuring all of his face minus his piercing blue eyes. The light from outside was almost blinding, and Sakura had to cover her eyes. When the light faded, she removed her hand.

The man leered over her, his eyes revealing a touch of malice.

"Looks like you're the only one awake," he purred. Oh, Kami no.

Sakura let out a squeak of fright. He wouldn't… surely not?

The man's hand went to her chest, and pushed her down on the lumpy bed. Sakura's breath escaped her as the man sat on her stomach. He leaned down, his mouth inches from hers, and whispered, "Shh, I'll make it quick."

Sakura tried to scream, but a kunai was soon placed at her throat. "Quiet," the man hissed, his blue eyes becoming more maniacal as the seconds went by.

This would be it then. The man would have his way with her, and then there would be nothing left. She would always remain a prisoner. She couldn't even try to fight him off, she was so weak. Her training thus far had been pathetic. She would never be able too-

"Tali," her weak cry made the man chuckle.

"She's not going to move."

Sakura, out of the corner of her eye, noticed Tali's blue eyes watching the whole scene. She wasn't going to help.

Tears began to fill the pinkette's emerald eyes. The cold metal against her throat was making it hard to breathe. And the breathing that was allowed was ragged and fierce. She couldn't take it much longer.

The man's fingers trailed down her top, until they reached the hem of her pants.

"Get off of me!"

With as much strength as she could muster, Sakura tried to force the man to move. The kunai was pressed deeper into her throat, and she could feel warm liquid trailing down her neck.

And, with a yank, Sakura's underwear was pulled down her legs. The man's eyes glinted with lust, and his hand made its way down-.

The sound of rushing water soon registered in her pounding ears. Tali had turned into a puddle of water that soon soaked her bed and the floor. The man noticed this too, and his eyes widened. "Water cl-"

He was cut off midsentence as a thud was heard. The man's blue eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell off Sakura limply.

Tali stood at the edge of her bed, her face not the picturesque thing it once was, but a determined grimace.

In her hand, she held a kunai, the blunt end dripping with blood.

Sakura let a singular tear fall down her cheek, but quickly wiped it away.

Tali walked over to the downed shinobi, and checked his pulse. "Still breathing," she muttered to herself.

She then, however, turned him over, so he was lying on his back. And with her kunai, brought it across his throat. A squirt of blood flew upwards, caressing Tali's face. She let out a growl of annoyance, and watched as the light disappeared from the man's eyes.

Sakura let out a startled gasp as she saw the neat line across the Shinobi's neck. "What…. Did you do!?"

Tali absentmindedly flicked the kunai under her bed, and shrugged. "I killed him."

"Bu-"

Tali's brow's creased slightly. "You are a shinobi, right?"

"Yes-"

"Shinobi kill. I don't like it, and it's obvious you don't like it. But, that's our way-"

She didn't get to finish her speech, as the door too their cell was roughly kicked open. Someone dashed in, shoving Tali hard against the wall. The girl let a cry of pain that was soon doubled twofold as a kunai was slashed across her back. Sakura couldn't see very well because of the blinding light that emenated from the doorway.

"Bitch." The figure sneered.

Sakura sat there in shock. From what she could tell, this woman wore an attire she recognized. Sound Shinobi attire.

The woman's hair was long, and purple, that went down to her waist. Her eyes were obscured shadows. She was tall, much taller than Sakura and Tali.

The woman roughly, without warning, grabbed Tali by the hair and slammed her forcefully to the ground below. The blonde let out a sharp hiss, as pain flooded her back.

"Hm," the woman muttered, pressing her foot into Tali's ribs. "Benjiro was a waste, anyway."

She raised her foot, and slammed it down hard into Tali's stomach. Blood exploded from the young girl's mouth, and she coughed weakly.

The woman stepped off of Tali, leaving her clutching her injured stomach. Casting a glance in Sakura's direction as she walked out, she smiled. Her grey eyes shone with a taunting edge. "Good girl. That's how a prisoner should behave."

Sakura caught the glint of a headband as she moved towards the open door.

And, with that, she exited the room, and slammed the door shut with such a force she swore it shook the room. Sakura shuddered.

The room now seemed blacker, as Tali lay hunched on the floor, next to the dead body of Benjiro.

Sakura let the tears flow freely.

"Don't…. cry…. Sakura."

Tear filled emerald eyes met blue ones, filled with some semblance of warmth through the pain. "I got…. What we needed."

Sakura quickly wiped away the tears that kept cascading, and her eyes widened as she caught sight of what Tali was on about. Clenched in her bloody palm, was a key. A key to their cell.

"Could… you help me up…?"

Sakura briskly nodded and snapped out of her brief paralysis, and went to help the injured girl back onto her bed.

* * *

The candlelight was dim, and yet it showed what it needed to show perfectly. Five figures knelt before someone, their eyes downcast to the floor, their bodies rigid.

A soft, and yet menacing laugh pierced the darkness.

"What is it you wish, my master?"

The voice belonged to the one in the middle, who raised his eyes up. A serpent gazed back at him. "I have a task for you," he chuckled darkly.

The man bowed his head once again. Of course, but, a mission like this….. he hadn't been needed in a long time.

"I need you all to collect something for me. A person, to be exact."

Huh, they were finally going after him? But, surely it was not time for that-

"Give them the brief."

The man snapped to attention instantly, a listened as another stepped forward.

"You will be capturing a member of the Rimen clan, of Magumakagure."

All of the five figures nodded. "Of course."

"The target's name is Kataki. Our Intel, from what we can gather, is he is at least Chunnin level. Exiled from his village. But, he's not going to be the main problem."

At this, the main figure raised his head again, like a silent question.

"The main threat will be the people with him. Most are stragglers, but some…. Well, some old friends are there. Utsuro, and Fenris."

The serpent chuckled. "Ah, so that is what she goes by now, is it? Six was a much fitting name for her, but Utsuro will do. And my darling Fenris…" The serpent let out a deep long chuckle.

"Yes master. What shall we do with them?"

"Kill them. They are of no use to me any longer."

A nod from the main knelt figure. "Is that all, master?"

The other man giving the debrief shook his head. "No, there is one more thing. Their 'sensei', is Itachi Uchiha."

This caused all the knelt figures to bristle. Wait, _the_ Itachi Uchiha?

"Expect heavy resistance. But, the cost of failure will be your lives. Other instructions have already been placed in your travel packs. Dismissed."

And, with a blur, the five figures disappeared from view.

The serpent licked his lips. "Kukuku…. I wonder how well our beloved shinobi shall deal with the likes of the Sharingan…."

And, the two other figures retreated into the darkness.

* * *

Dark had fallen. And yet, a boy in orange leapt about in victory. He had been at this for so long, so god damn long! But, he had finally gotten the first part down. Finally.

It took ages, but with Hinata's help, he had gotten it. He leapt about with joy, a sun-splitting grin on his face.

The sky was a dark blue, with the moon glittering brilliantly against the sky. The stars twinkled every once in a while, congratulation the bouncing boy on his accomplishment.

"Woohoo!" Naruto cried out happily. "Hinata! Did you see…"

The trailed off and stopped jumping.

Hinata lay slumped against a rock, her eyes clothes, and her breath shallow. She was asleep.

Naruto cocked his head to the side. She looked so… pretty. The way her skin shimmered with milky whiteness that perfectly showed off her creamy soft skin. Her hair, long and dark blue was sprawled down her back.

The blonde smiled slightly. And then frowned.

He didn't want to wake her up that would be rude. But, how was he…

He grinned. Of course, that was the answer!

Naruto quietly strolled over to the sleeping beauty, and, with as much carefulness as one such as Naruto could muster, picked her up bridal style.

_"This is what Kakashi-sensei did to Sakura one time, so I should do it to Hinata, right?"_

He shrugged, and began the walk back to camp. And, if the Pervy Sage was still around…. Naruto was going to enjoy ripping him in half.

But, what Naruto didn't see, was Jiraiya sitting atop a branch, a soft smile adorning his features. "Yeah, totally interesting."

* * *

Hinata felt odd when she awoke. She was in a different position to what she remembered….

Her pale eyes widened, and she stifled a soft gasp as she saw Naruto's tanned face above her. Was he… carrying her!?

The sheer thought of it sent chills up her spine, and her pale face instantly turned a crimson red. Oh Kami, oh Kami, oh Kami…..

She slowly began breathing in and out, and did it as quietly as possible, so as not to distract Naruto. Or, rather, make sure he didn't notice her. He was oblivious, his eyes dead set on the path ahead.

Hinata figured that he was carrying her back to camp, and her heart swelled. He was carrying her because he wanted too, so he didn't have to wake her! Her heart did deflate, however, as she realised that he would probably do the same for all the other girls. That was Naruto.

But, boy, was he warm. The night was definitely cold, but he felt so warm. She could feel his muscles contract and move as he walked.

She let out a dreamy sigh as she pretended to snuggle closer to him in her sleep. She would indulge this fantasy. At least, for a little while.

Naruto turned his gaze down upon her as he walked, and, for some reason, his heart seemed to beat faster as she snuggled deeper into him. And, as they both made their way back to camp, both were grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

**And there we go! That's the chapter done. Make sure to review if you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time for chapter 15! Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello everybody, and welcome to chapter fifteen of the Winds of Change. Wow, it only took two/three days for this to come out! I've been on a writing frenzy recently, and I hope it continues for the future. A rather simple chapter, this one. Nothing really amazing happens. Mostly chatting and character development, and perhaps a little romance scene :). But, enough of my babbling. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor will I ever likely will. This is enough to make me cry myself to sleep every night. I hope you're all happy!**

* * *

The sun rose high in the sky as Team Rescue Sakura made their way down the dirty path. They would soon be nearing their destination. Orochiasu.

All the drama that erupted over the course of a few days had completely pushed the rescue mission out of everyone's minds. It was only now, as they trudged ever closer to their goal, that they realised they needed to save her.

Naruto grimaced slightly. How could he have forgotten her? His own teammate!? His… love. He had spent all this time training, laughing and joking. Sakura never even crossed his mind. Kakashi's speech when they first became genin rang in his mind. "A person who doesn't complete his mission is scum. But, a person who leaves his teammates behind is worse than scum."

It continually circled around his brain, over and over. He had pushed her completely out of his mind to have fun. While she was probably crying in a cell. It had only occurred to him as he reached camp that night. He had spent all his time with Hinata. Nobody really liked to be around him for long periods of time, anyway. He did notice the occasional glance sent his way by her. Naruto wasn't stupid. He knew that Hinata was getting sick of being around him. The way she blushed when he came near most of the time. She was embarrassed to be around him. That was obvious. He stole a sad glance in her direction. She stood behind him, off to the side, her eyes darting around the tree-line.

He turned his eyes towards the road, and his pace quickened.

What he didn't know, however, was that Hinata was watching him silently, her eyes a mixture of worry and sadness. Of course he was thinking of Sakura, why wouldn't he be? He would rather be with her, anyway…

The rest of the group maintained a calm aura about them as they neared their target. Shikamaru was at the back, trailing with his hands in his pockets. Kiba and Shino were in the middle, the bug user being quiet as usual, while Kiba talked quietly with Akamaru.

Tenten was standing protectively near Lee, shooting dark glares at Neji. The Hyȗga prodigy did not react to these glares, except on the inside. On the inside, he was so confused.

Gai was jogging passionately in front, just far enough that he would just lose the groups sight, but not far away enough that the group would lose track of him.

Ino was far away from Shikamaru as humanly possible, taking point on the left side along with Kurenai. The red-eyed Jōnin had taken a liking to all the female members that she had spoken too, and made sure to speak with all of them. She was currently talking to Ino about Genjutsu.

And Kakashi stood directly in the middle, Icha Icha in hand like always. He was, however, having a conversation with Sasuke. What they were discussing, however, was in such hushed whispers, that most of the group couldn't hear them at all.

This allowed most of them to reflect on their training. Ino was now able to do the Genjutsu Kurenai taught her exceptionally well. Having tested it on Kurenai herself, she admitted it was fairly impressive. She then broke it easily.

Tenten's lightning channelling had been going tremendously, also. She was, however, very disappointed. The large explosion she had managed to cause during her first try had yet to be reproduced. Sure, there were small explosions of bark and sparks, but that was it. But, she could channel it decently, and after only a day's training, she thought that was pretty impressive!

Kiba, however, was extremely frustrated. His Earth Wall Jutsu barely topped off at his height. Shino could make it much higher than his, and was already working on a special Jutsu that Kakashi was teaching him.

Of course, he knew it took ages to perfect something (except for Ino, who bragged about learning that Genjutsu so fast), but still. He wished he was able to do it now.

Sasuke had progressed to a decent level as well. His Explosive Wave, while still nowhere near as powerful or as large as Kakashi's, was still deadly. Kakashi had explained that, with training, he would soon be able to send out smaller bursts of energy that would scorch those around him for a brief few moments.

The main reason most of the group were tired was because of Gai's intense Taijutsu training regime. That man could fight.

He had challenged all the genin to a special sparring match using only Taijutsu. If they won, he would teach them a specialized Taijutsu move. They had all excepted, except for Shikamaru, who refused to participate. This resulted in Gai proclaiming him his 'Most Youthful Assistant!'.

And so, they commenced the match. It took a minute and a half, but most were down. The only one's still up consisted of Neji and Sasuke. And then, in under five seconds, with a huge split kick to both their faces, they were sent flying.

So, with their induction done, Gai taught them some more advanced Taijutsu kata's, and some specialized movements. Nothing overly spectacular, but something that would get the job done.

Lee felt like he was being abandoned, and while he did enjoy watching his comrades train with his youthful sensei, it just didn't sit right. He should have been the one out there.

And so, at night, he stole himself away to the woods and began practicing one armed push-ups He continued for as long as possible, before Gai found him, scolded him, and helped him back to camp.

Lee was currently hobbling along as Tenten watched him like a mother hen. He was enjoying the attention that she was giving him, though. It was pleasant.

And so, on the group travelled.

* * *

Kakashi's eye slowly rose from his book. The path was slowly getting more and more civilised. It was turning from the dirt roads that crisscrossed the Land of Fire to something more concrete. Of course, with the large amount of merchandise that was transported to and fro from Orochiasu, it was not surprising.

Apart from Konoha, and Kesennuma, one of the largest port towns in the world, Orochiasu was up in the top five places for trading and commerce. It was a huge bustling hub of energy that seemed to reverberate all over the surrounding woodland. It was a shame he wasn't going to go into the town, though.

The scouting group would move about the outskirts of the town, and the grassy plains that surrounded it. Orochiasu was unique in the fact that it was one of the only towns in the Fire Country not squashed in by trees. Plain, open fields.

But, this led for Kakashi to believe the main base where they were holding Sakura must have been in the actual town itself. Unless, of course, there were some underground-

"Kakashi."

The copy nin turned his head to the side. Kurenai walked slowly over to him, eyeing the genin surrounding them. "Can I have a word?"

Oh Kami. This wasn't going to be good. Kurenai's words never ended well. How Asuma coped, he would never know. But, he nodded anyway, slamming his book shut and shoving it into his pocket.

"Kakashi and I are going to scout the surrounding woodland quickly."

Mutterings of agreement circled through the group, and she, along with Kakashi, leapt into the trees.

* * *

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Kakashi inquired as they rushed at a decent place through the foliage. Kurenai's wine red eyes softened.

"You know about Hinata's crush on Naruto?"

Kakashi nodded, having no idea where this was going. What did that have to do with him?

"Well, another student of yours came and demanded I help get them together." Kurenai's eyes were humourless. Kakashi let out a small chuckle, but quickly wilted under the Genjutsu mistress' stony glare.

"Wait, as in Sasuke?!" The thought occurred to the Copy Nin. "As in, brooding 'Hn' Sasuke!?"

"How many other Sasuke's do you know?" Kurenai deadpanned.

"Hmm," Kakashi tapped his masked chin in thought. "Well, there's the Sasuke from the Land of Rivers, and Sasuke from the Land of Snow, and- Oh! The Sasuke sisters from the Land of Tea!"

"…Right. Anyway, your brooding student demanded that I help get them together, as I have already explained. So, for your scouting group, I would like you to take Neji instead of Hinata."

Kakashi's eye crinkled in thought for a few moments, before he shrugged. "I don't know Kurenai. Neji's in the main group because they may run into trouble. It's most likely that the base is inside the town itself, and they will need all the help they can get."

Kurenai's brow furrowed. "What's the problem? They have me and Gai with them. We're both Jōnin in our own right, you know."

"Yeah, but, the kids…."

"Kakashi; we just spent all of yesterday training them. While they haven't perfected anything, they've come a very long way. You know that. Do you doubt their abilities?"

"Yes, I do. From what we saw, that Cloud Nin took down Naruto, Hinata, Kiba and Shino; and after all of that managed to fight Sasuke, and escape. That was one ninja. We would have trouble with him Kurenai. And we don't know how many there are of the kidnappers or how strong they could be…"

"Kakashi," Kurenai exhaled deeply," These kids are young, yes. But, they're genin. Shinobi of the Leaf. They'll do fine."

"I know. But, I've already lost one student; I don't want to lose another."

The Genjutsu mistress' eye's widened slightly. He was worried about losing his students? Of course, that made sense. But, this was Kakashi. The cool calm Copy Ninja. And he was worried.

"You're really worried about this, aren't you?"

Kakashi nodded. "They're my responsibility. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke. There my genin. I refuse to lose another of them."

"You haven't lost Sakura. We'll get her back," she stopped and placed a comforting hand on Kakashi's shoulder. She had never seen him so… emotional. Not since his team…

Kakashi had always been a blank slate. Even with his mask, the only things you could gleam from his eye were humour, knowledge, and cold, hard, and rough determination. Now, his eye portrayed a sense of sadness she had yet to see in him.

"Thank you, Kurenai." He said after a few moments, his posture straightening and his eye regaining that cool tone.

"I don't get why you're worrying in the first place. You've got Gai and I on the team, remember?"

"Yes. But, this is Gai. He'll have them dressed in green spandex and running around the Orochiasu doing a hundred laps."

They both let out a small chuckle, the evidence of the tender moment erased. "On the topic of green spandex," Kurenai began, her eyes changing into a darker tone, "Lee's been steadily getting worse."

Kakashi nodded. It was true, after Gai had found Lee in the woods training, his health had decreased somewhat. He was moving slower, looked a little paler, and seemed… Less Lee-like than before. It was worrying.

"What can we do, though?" Kurenai inquired to her senior Jōnin. He let out an audible sigh, and shook his head, before turning back.

"Not much. We could send him back with somebody, but we need all the help we can get. We'll simply have to keep him busy in an Inn, or something."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best. I'll keep an eye on him,"

Kakashi nodded as Kurenai began following him back towards the group. "Also, keep an eye on Sasuke for me. He's feeling… More vengeful recently."

"Why?"

"I… can't say Kurenai, I'm sorry. Orders from the H- Former Hokage," he added solemnly. She frowned slightly, but nodded.

"All I can tell you," He began after a few moments, "Is that there was a reason we needed this big a team."

Then, something clicked Kurenai's mind. A wave of fear shot over her, and she unconsciously shivered.

"Itachi…" the word sounded foreign, and so wrong. Almost as if it was a taboo to be said aloud. Which, it was. Back in Konoha, it was strictly frowned upon to mention Itachi.

Kakashi didn't respond, but she noticed the subtle change of his eyebrow furrowing slightly. So, she was correct?

That just made the mission a lot more complicated.

* * *

"Yosh! The town is in sight my comrades!"

Gai's booming voice scattered a flock of birds. Neji looked up from his thinking, and nodded his affirmation. Yes, this was good. The sooner they found Sakura, the sooner they could go home. The sooner he could focus on this feeling coiling in his gut that he hated with a passion.

As the group reached the top of a hill that the now concrete path lead up, they stopped and surveyed their surroundings.

The town was indeed in sight, and it did look rather quaint. Homely, was the word he was looking for. Over a large stream that's water was crystal clear, and seemed to glide onwards, was a bridge. A dark brown bridge that looked as if it could withstand twenty Akimichi's standing side by side, bouncing up and down. Perched next to it was a sign, and crossroads, leading left and right to other destinations. It seemed that you would have to go through the town, rather than round it. And, after following the road for a few more minutes longer, you would come across a decently sized wooden wall. While not necessarily sturdy, by any means, as a simple Fire Jutsu could easily set it ablaze, it was decent enough to protect from bandits.

From the distance Neji was at, he could just make out silhouettes marching to and fro along the wall. Neji remembered what Kakashi-sensei had mentioned to them as they walked one day. This town had it's own garrison of troops. While nowhere near the strength or speed of a ninja, they were formidable to the common people. However, they were also said to be corrupted. Backhand bribes usually led to them looking the other way when an average merchant is killed and his goods absorbed by another. A sickening act, but, it was business and politics. Not that Neji liked politics.

A large iron gate blocked any from breaching the wooden walls. This would prove problematic.

While they could simply sneak in, if they were spotted (and considering Naruto was with them, that was highly likely), then they would have no reason being there. Of course, since Konoha ninja had the power and authority to go anywhere within the Land of Fire, the guardsmen would surely report them to the corrupt merchant's that ran the city. For all they knew, they could have been behind this. Kidnapping a ninja and using her as a ransom tool was a good move, but a very foolish one. Unless they had help.

The group had finished surveying the area, and continued to move down the hill and towards the crossroads and sign.

Gai beamed brightly as they drew nearer, striking a nice guy pose. "Yosh, we have reached the destination!"

Tenten rolled her eyes at her sensei's loudness, but nodded. "That's good. This journey was really grating on my nerves." She shot a glance at Neji. A cold glance.

Neji grimaced.

Everyone, however, seemed to nod in agreement with her.

"Ah, the cute little genin managed to reach the destination without me."

Kakashi walked out from the trees, followed by a chuckling Kurenai. Naruto frowned, and pointed an accusatory finger at Kakashi. "You're late you bastard! We need to save-"

A loud smack echoed across the area as Kurenai's fist connected with the Kyuubi holder's head. "Ow!" he groaned as Kurenai glared at him.

"Don't swear in a ladies presence, brat."

"Sorry Kurenai-sensei," Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke smirked slightly. "Hn."

"What did you say asshole!?"

Another smack. "Ow!"

"Right," Kakashi began, unfazed by his genin now on the floor, clutching his head while Kurenai seethed over him. "Shall we begin?"

"Begin what?" Ino chirped in.

"The plan," Shikamaru answered, turning his bored eyes onto her. She frowned at him, her eyes icy and cold. He sighed.

"Shikamaru is correct. There has been a slight change of plans. Neji," The Hyȗga prodigy perked up at his name, "You will be accompanying the scouting group."

He frowned. "With all due respect Kakashi-sensei, Hiashi-sama wished me to stick with Hinata-sama. It would be-"

"No! What a most youthful idea! Neji, your expertise will surely help our most youthful comrades in their scouting. I promise to keep Hinata safe at all costs, Yosh!"

Gai slapped the Hyȗga heir on the back, causing her to stumble forward and blush.

Neji grumbled under his breath, but nodded in agreement.

"Right, now that's settled, I'll go over the plan quickly once again. Shikamaru, Shino, Neji and I will scout around the forested areas and the grassy plains. The rest of you will infiltrate the city itself. If you spot any signs of enemy ninja, or anything remotely associated with Sakura, you send someone to find us. Kiba, your sense of smell will be extremely important in this one. Make sure you stay focused."

"You got it!" Kiba exclaimed loudly, a wolfish grin on his face as Akamaru barked approvingly.

"Good, Kurenai and Gai-sensei will be in charge of this mission. Do what they say without fail, okay… Naruto?"

"Wah!? Why are you looking at me!?"

"Because you never follow orders idiot."

"I'm not an idiot, Teme!"

Kakashi continued without a second glance at his arguing genin team. Luckily, Kurenai bopped them both on the head, eventually shutting them up. "Now, we need to discuss disguises. While most of your attire right now is decent, a few of you will need to make changes. Sasuke, your jacket makes you easy to recognize, you'll need to change it. Tenten, would you unseal the scroll with the clothes in now."

The brunette nodded her affirmation as she dug into her pocket. She pulled out a scroll, unravelled it, and with a poof of smoke some clothes appeared.

"Here you are Sasuke," Tenten smiled, handing him a black jacket coated on the inside with protective meshing. He grunted in response, before taking off and handing his Uchiha jacket to Tenten, who placed it back into the scroll.

"Hinata, because of your distinctive eye qualities, it would be best if you kept your eyes hidden. I'm going to ask you to keep your hood up at all times, and try and obscure your face as much as possible, okay?" She nodded, and smiled slightly.

"Y-yes Kakashi-sensei."

"Good. Also make sure to carry this particular blindfold with you."

Tenten chucked Hinata a dark blindfold that would fit perfectly around her eyes, effectively blocking them from the world.

"If you need to use your Byakugan, and are not in the middle of a fight, make sure to place this on before you use it, okay?"

She nodded once more. Kakashi eye smiled. "Excellent. Now, for our backstory. For the group that is moving into the city, here is your backstory: Kurenai and Gai-sensei are a married couple," Kurenai shivered violently and Gai shouted something about youth. "The rest of you are all orphans that are travelling through here to Taki. Normally this wouldn't work, as most shinobi use this tactic often, and will usually end up being reported to the merchants anyway. However, because there is such a large group of you, and since you are so young, it would make sense. Everyone clear on that?"

They all nodded their affirmation, before Kakashi continued, "Great. Now, there is the slight problem of your headbands. I need you to relinquish them to Tenten's storage scroll, all those going into the city."

"What!? No way Kakashi-sensei," Naruto piped in loudly, "This show's we're proud Konoha ninja. I refuse to take mine off, believe it!"

Everyone sweatdropped in exasperation. "Naruto, the whole point is that people don't know that we're Konoha ninja. That's the point of an infiltration mission."

"Oh, why didn't you say that in the first place?"

Everyone ignored him, as Kakashi finished off with, "Right, we'll be heading off soon. You have ten minutes to say your goodbyes."

And, the group dispersed into different areas.

* * *

Shino stood as stoic as ever against the backdrop of the woods. He had never been one for goodbyes, and since his father's death, the sheer thought of saying goodbye to anything made him internally shudder. He never wanted to say goodbye again. His teammates, however, had other ideas.

Out of the crowd came Hinata and Kiba. Hinata had a small smile on her face, while Kiba, while holding his usual wolfish grin… it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hello Shino," Hinata greeted, giving a light bow as she always did. Kiba rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, and his grin intensified.

"Hello Hinata, Kiba," he greeted in return.

"W-we just wanted to g-give you a going aw-away present," she stuttered slightly, a pink tinge forming on her cheeks.

"Yeah," Kiba yelled just a little bit too loudly, "She-I-We thought it would be a great idea."

Shino frowned slightly at Kiba's behaviour, but nodded. "Of course. But it is not needed. Why, you ask? Because, while I appreciate the sentiment, I would rather give you a parting gift.

Then, Shino did something that they both weren't expecting. He slowly unzipped his trench coat.

Kiba's eyes widened. Under the grey trench coat was a mesh shirt that hugged at Shino's body. Oh Kami…

The Aburame Heir reached into the pocket of his trousers, and produced two necklaces. One had a butterfly on it, soaring through the air. And the other was a of a wolf, it's head cocked upwards staring at the sky.

"S-Shino…" Hinata stuttered, cupping her hands together as Shino placed the necklace in her hand. "It's… beautiful…" she trailed off as she examined it closer. It was silver, with little red jewels incrusted in the rim of the butterfly's wings.

Kiba could only stare in shock as Shino extended his hand out. The wolf was a wooden carving, but so intricately detailed… it was as if the wolf could turn its head and snarl at the Inuzuka. Akamaru gave a yip of admiration.

"Kiba, are you going to take it?"

Kiba snapped out of his amazed stupor and nodded his head. "Y-yes, thank you Shino."

The Aburame nodded and placed it in the palm of his hand.

After he pulled back, Shino gave a curt nod.

"Where did you get these from?" Kiba inquired as he rolled the pendant around in his hand. For some reason, it held a deep value to Kiba. Not because of how beautiful it was (not that Kiba thought anything was beautiful. He was too rugged for that), but because it was given to him by Shino. He coughed awkwardly into his hand as Shino answered.

"I had them specially made for you."

"What, in a few days?"

Shino regarded Kiba with a small smile. "No. I requested these about a week ago. But… certain problems stopped me from giving them to you. I give them to you know, however, as a memento."

Hinata felt tears in her eyes as she clutched the butterfly to her chest. "Thank you s-so much, Shi-Shino."

Shino stopped for a second. He could see the unshed tears of joy in her eyes as she held the pendant. Did she really care that much for it? Perhaps it was because it was from him… her teammate. And, for an annoying reason, it bothered him that Kiba wasn't as sentimental.

"An-and this is fo-for you."

As Hinata took a small jar out of her pocket, it snapped the bug nin out of his thoughts, and she handed it to him.. "I-it's filled with a he-healing balm."

"Thank you very much, Hinata. You as well, Kiba."

"Everything okay over here?"

Kurenai slowly sauntered over, a smile playing on her lips. "Yes Kurenai-sensei," Shino answered. "I was just saying my… goodbyes."

Kurenai frowned. She had heard about Shibi's death, and had wished to comfort her student. But, the mission had to take priority. After the mission, she would have a talk with him.

She softly smiled at him. "Of course. Take your time, you still have a while. Good luck Shino."

"You too, Kurenai-sensei."

The young Jōnin turned her head, a smile playing on her lips. She would leave her cute little genin to chat amongst themselves for a little while. She certainly wouldn't have her team any other way.

* * *

"Yo."

Kakashi greeted his two students with an eye-smile as they bickered amongst themselves. Naruto turned his cerulean eyes up at Kakashi and grinned. "Hehe, just you wait Kakashi-sensei, we'll bring Sakura back in no time! Believe it!"

With another eye smile, the Copy Nin ruffled the blonde's hair, earning an angry, "Hey!" From Naruto. After a small chuckle, Kakashi turned his attention to Sasuke. "Naruto, I need to have a word with Sasuke." He stated, not taking his eyes off of the Uchiha Heir.

Naruto grumbled, swearing under his breath, before waving the two off. "Yeah yeah, whatever. I'm going to talk with someone else!"

And, with that, the orange clad genin bounded off somewhere.

"You know, going into this city with Naruto dressed… normally won't be inconspicuous at all."

Kakashi shrugged. "That is correct, I suppose. Still, trying to get him out of the thing would lead to problems. Follow me."

Kakashi calmly walked over to the stream, and gazed into its clear waters. It really was a pleasant day, with the sun stretching it's hand over them to heat them up from the cold night. Sasuke trudged over to his sensei, and he too stared into the water. It reminded him of home, somewhat. The stream that ran through the Uchiha complex. Only, this one was crystal clear, unlike the damp decay that filled his. If he could recall correctly, it was once beautiful, and he remembered his mother taking him down there to play.

He clenched his fists as he thought about it. Everything he had was taken from him, by that bastard. He would find and kill him.

Kakashi, ever the observant one, noticed the clenching of Sasuke's fists. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the young Uchiha gritted, before he turned his obsidian orbs over to Kakashi. "If he's here-"

"I know Sasuke, I know."

Sasuke merely grunted as he continued to stare into the stream. Kakashi remained calm on the outside, but he truly was panicking on the inside. _"Sasuke's going to be an immense complication when- if we retrieve the target. He's making steady progress with the others, and finally trying to care about other people. This, if all goes to plan, in an essence, destroy him."_

Kakashi didn't know what he thought anymore. At the start of the mission, he had been dead set on ending Sasuke's life if he tried to leave. But now… he was making real progress, and trying to get along with people in his funny little way.

With those things on his mind, Kakashi turned and eye smiled. "Sasuke, make sure to look after Naruto. And, since you seem to have taken an interest in her, Hinata."

Sasuke ever so subtly tightened up a bit. "I would also ask you to respect your authority figures, okay?"

The dark haired raven nodded his head in recognition. "See you later then, my cute little genin." Kakashi ruffled Sasuke's hair and walked off.

Sasuke's face contorted briefly into a scowl as Kakashi touched his hair, but his face soon returned to a neutral expression. "Good luck… Kakashi-sensei."

* * *

While the goodbyes were going on, Shikamaru stood hastily to the side. He stood with his back against the wooden signpost, his eyes upwards towards the cloudless sky. Of course, it just had to be cloudless.

He sighed, and began to quietly bang the back of his head against the post. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

He had ruined things with Ino, he knew that now. That argument was intense, fierce, and so full of malice, that he would be surprised if she ever forgave him. If he ever forgave himself.

Shikamaru took a deep breath. It didn't matter, though. He needed to focus on the mission. Needed to…

He trailed off as she stepped out of the crowd of people. Her blue eyes were fixed on him, soft, and yet sharp at the same time. She strolled over, her hips swaying as she walked.

She stopped just in front of him. They both stared at each other for a moment.

He couldn't help but notice how soft and pink her lips looked…

"I-"

Her jaw seemed to mechanically shut, and she looked away.

Shikamaru kept his gaze on her for a few moments, before shrugging. If she wasn't going to say anything, then neither was he-

Her arms wrapped around him as she pulled him closer. Shikamaru gasped slightly at the contact, and stood there motionless. Her slender arms, wrapped around his shoulders, were soft. So very soft.

She seemed to mumble something under her breath, before she stretched upward and leaned close to his ear.

She hesitated briefly, and he could hear the shaking in her voice as she spoke. The unshed tears that needed to be shed.

"Come back to me."

She moved away from his ear and rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. "Please."

And, with that, she realised him.

Shikamaru's mouth was open, his eyes widened. What the hell!? Troublesome women and their U-turns.

And then, to add to his confusion, she leaned in again. Another hug? Why? This wasn't needed-

A soft kiss was planted on his cheek. She pulled away, a pink blush adorning her features. "Stay safe. We need to… talk after the mission, okay?"

The nodded dumbly. And, with a sad smile, she was gone. Back into the crowd.

He leaned back against the post, and exhaled. Holy shit. He was so confused. So utterly, irrevocably, positively, confused. And, yet, he could stop the pink tinge that adorned his cheeks.

* * *

Gai clapped Neji hard on the back. "Well, my youthful student, it is time for us to part ways!" Tears streamed down the man's face as he pulled Neji into a passionate embrace. The passion was, however, completely one sided. The branch Hyȗga's mouth was curled into a ferocious scowl. Gai didn't react, and continued to cry fondly.

"But, fear not my student!" He boomed once more, placing a giant hand on Neji's shoulder, "We shall see each other again soon."

The tears seemed to escalate as they tumbled over Gai's face, and, he slowly pushed his other two genin forward. "Tenten, Lee, say goodbye to your youthful teammate as he fans his flames of youth without us!"

Tenten regarded him with a cool stare, her mouth resisting the urge to twist into a hateful snarl. "Good luck," she extended her hand out robotically. Lee watched her, and his own frown intensified.

Neji looked at her hand with a mild sadness in his eyes, which he quickly quashed with a dose of Hyȗga stoicism. "Same to you, Tenten."

They shook hands for but a second, before Tenten pulled back. Their eyes had locked for a brief second, the chocolate ones hard and hateful, while the sheet white eyes of Neji started with a cool calm aura.

Lee balanced on his crutches as he extended his hand out as well. "No hard feelings Neji. Good luck with your mission."

Neji, however, did something very un-Neji like. He let the smallest of smiles grace his lips, before he shook Lee's hand firmly. "Same to you, my friend."

Tenten and Lee both blinked owlishly. Friend? He called Lee… a friend?

Gai slapped Tenten on the back hard, and slapped Lee on the back with a little less force. "Excellent! Those goodbyes were full of the flames of youth."

Although, Tenten could swear she saw Gai glance at her out of the corner of his eye sadly. "Good day, Neji! We shall see you soon!"

Neji nodded and bowed to his eccentric sensei, nodded his head in Lee and Tenten's direction, and then marched to where Hinata was standing.

"Hinata-sama," he greeted respectfully.

"Hello Neji," she greeted with a soft smile. He noticed the butterfly pendant that she clutched to her chest, and the tears that threatened to erupt from her eyes, but did not say anything.

"I am leaving now. I am intrusting your care to my sensei and teammates. Do not worry, they are all exceptional shinobi."

Kiba seemed to materialize near Hinata, standing close enough to show his protective side. "Hinata will be fine with us, Hyȗga."

Neji did not respond to Kiba, merely bowed his head in respect. "Hinata-sama."

And, with that, he left. He could feel not only Kiba, but Shino's eyes boring into him. It was natural, of course. The way he treated her left no judgement in their minds that he would only do her harm. That was not the case, but now was not the time to argue. So, he calmly walked over to the neat line that was being back dropped by the trees that seemed to stretch in one direction.

All members of the scouting team now took their place at the forest edge. All had a look of determination on their faces.

Kakashi eye smiled, and gave a little wave, before he descended into the trees. "Have fun Sasuke. Naruto, don't anger the populace."

Naruto grimaced and went to argue with Kakashi, but stopped for a moment as he noticed Hinata, standing next to him, her eyes filled with tears.

Shino was next to bow out, giving a curt nod in his team's direction. "Goodbye," he said, before he too disappeared.

Hinata let some tears fall as her teammate left. And while Naruto desperately wanted to reach out and hug her desperately, he couldn't. She was embarrassed enough by him already. "See you later Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto decided to yell instead.

"Meh, I won't miss your loudness Naruto. Troublesome… goodbye." Shikamaru shot Ino a sad and yet comforting glance. She met it with one of her own. Their intentions went unheard by everyone else, except for them.

Come back to me.

Neji was the last, and as Gai whooped and cheered and cried tears of joy for his student, Neji looked intently at Tenten and Lee. The brunette kunochi was holding Lee's arm in a comforting manner, as she still looked at Neji coldly. Lee was a little bit better, smiling weakly at him, although it seemed that Tenten's grip on his arm tightened slightly as he winced.

With an almost unnoticeable sigh, he too slipped into the trees. And that was that.

The remainder of the group turned their attention to the horizon. The sun was at its highest peak, signifying noon. The sky was crystal clear, with only a blue stream rushing across it brightly. And, with a small gust of wind, the group set off down the path to their destination. Orochiasu. And Sakura.

* * *

**And there we go! I apologize for any grammar mistakes in advance, and they will be corrected when I wake up in the morning. Thank you for reading, make sure to leave a review if you would be so kind, and have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello everybody, and welcome to chapter sixteen of the Winds of Change!**

**I would like to thank all my new reviewers, who I'm too tired to name, and who I hope will continue to enjoy this story. When they catch up, at least.**

**I would like to bring this story to you, with a bit of an advertisement, as it were. I'm a sucker for OC stories. Well written ones, anyway. And, a good friend of mine, DownsofFire, has a fantastic one. It's called the Rejected Child, and focuses on the trials and tribulations of Team Seven with a new member, a mysterious ninja by the name of Sithe. It has promise to be a long tale venturing into Shippuden territory. I would heartily recommend it, as he has been a great friend to myself, and has provided some great insight and help into my writing. And, he's getting there as a writer himself. Seriously, if you like great OC writers, this guy is the one for you. Sithe is an interesting, mysterious character. And non Gary-Sueish, I can assure you.**

**Here's a link: s/8600651/1/The-Rejected-Child**

**But enough about that! You're all here to read some WoC! But, seriously, if you get time, please check it out. It would mean a lot to himself and myself. **

**Spoilers: Battle next chapter. Anyway, without further ado, I welcome you to chapter sixteen of the Winds of Change. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was relatively easy getting into the city. Having approached the gates, they were hailed by one of the guards there. He was tall, and lanky. His armour was a dark grey, sturdy and yet light. A swords sheath could be seen by his thigh. He wore a helmet, the visor obscuring his face.

"State your business," He stated in a bored tone.

Kurenai smiled. "Good evening sir. I'm but a simple woman with my husband, escorting these orphans to Taki," she gestured to the group, who either smiled somewhat brightly, shyly, or grimaced.

The guard looked them up and down, before he nodded. "Very well, I suppose I can let you through. Please sign the visitor's book on the way in. I presume they can write?"

Naruto puffed up his chest indignantly, and went to retort, but a quick cut off from Kurenai ended that thought. "Of course, my husband, Gai, has instructed them in the arts of reading and writing."

"Indeed! These young orphans still burn bright with the flames of youth!"

The guard and Kurenai sweat-dropped, before he stepped aside. "Carry on."

Kurenai nodded her thanks, and with a sweep of her hand, made the other's follow her on through.

They reached the gates, and with a sharp squeak, they began to rise. On the other side of the gates was a small desk, with a small old woman sitting at it. She tapped her pen impatiently on the desk.

Kurenai put on her most charming smile, and stepped through the gate, and over to the old woman.

"Hello!" she greeted, "Is there where we are meant to sign in?"

The woman gave a calculated gaze, before she nodded. Kurenai and the rest signed rather happily, although Naruto had to do his over again after putting a smiley face after his name.

And, with that, they were let loose in the city.

After getting through the entrance, you really could see how bustling the city was. Rows and rows of market stalls lined the streets, selling petty items at extravagant prices. Mouth-watering dishes seemed to tantalize the senses of the rescue team. It was almost too much after having nothing but soup and ration bars for the last few days.

They put it off, however, and continued.

* * *

"This is n-nice," Hinata whispered in awe. They stood in the shadow of a large oak tree, thick and majestic. It was almost like a regal king, commanding over his subjects. The thick bush of leaves seemed to engulf the sky.

"It is," Ino chimed in, running a hand through her hair. "Shall we rest here, Kurenai-sensei?"

The Genjutsu Mistress nodded. Yes, this would be a good place to rest. The shade would be a nice after traipsing through the town.

Kurenai had heard the town was big, but she never knew it was this big! The size was exhausting. And the amount of shops and stalls! She must have passed at least a thousand, maybe more. This town seemed to roar loudly all of the time. It truly was exhausting. They needed to find an Inn.

"Right, what we need to do is find an Inn."

Naruto collapsed on the cool ground, letting a sigh escape from his lips. "I agree. I'm hungry."

"You can eat later Dobe, we need to find Sakura, remember?"

"Naruto's right, Sasuke. We need to establish a base of operations first. Then, tomorrow, we can get to looking for Sakura. It's getting late."

Indeed it was. The sky was already an illuminated wildfire, scorching across the sky.

"Hn," was Sasuke's non-committal grunt. He certainly was a conversationalist.

Not all of the group was there, presently, however. Kurenai's brow furrowed. "Where are Lee and Tenten? And Gai, for that matter?"

On cue, the Jōnin and genin came into view. Tenten was visibly distressed, however. "Something's wrong with Lee! He's collapsed."

A look of shock swam over most of the genin's faces as Kurenai rushed forward. Gai looked positively down-trodden. Lee was out-cold in his arms, his face white as a sheet.

"What are we going to do!?" Tenten shouted loudly.

"Hush Tenten, we'll find him a doctor."

Gai met her wine red eyes, and with a look of determination, nodded. "I'll take Lee and go find a medic. Maybe he can do something-"

Lee's loud anguished cry echoed around the area. People passing by stopped and watched as Lee twitched horrendously.

"This isn't from his injuries with Gaara," Kurenai thought urgently. "Could it be poison?"

The word shocked Tenten into silence. No, impossible. It couldn't have worked that fast, could it. One minute, he was fine. And the next…

"What it is doesn't matter. We need to find a medic."

Kurenai nodded at Gai. "Very well. Hurry and find one."

"I'm going too!"

Kurenai nodded once more. "Okay Tenten. Make sure you keep up. We'll look for a room."

And, with that, the two shinobi ran off down the street, Gai placing Lee on his back. Kurenai cursed. They couldn't run at full speed for risk of blowing their cover. Shit, this was bad.

"Is L-Lee goi-going to be o-okay?" Hinata asked sadly.

Kurenai grimaced. "I… don't know, Hinata. I don't know."

Kiba put a hand on Hinata's shoulder reassuringly. "He'll be fine, Hinata. You should have seen him during his fight! There's no way an injury could keep Lee down!"

Hinata, and everyone else, seemed to perk up at his words. Kurenai smiled. If there was one thing Kiba and Naruto were good at, it was making people feel better.

Sasuke had noticed with some disdain that Naruto had looked as though he wanted to get up and comfort Hinata. But, he didn't. Why? He frowned.

"I know most of you are worried about Lee," Kurenai sighed. "But right now, we still have-"

She paused as the onlookers around her looked on curiously. "To focus on getting a place to sleep for the night, okay?"

They all nodded. Ino let out a sigh. "Shall we look for a place to stay, then?"

The Genjutsu Mistress nodded her head. "Yes. I think we should take a rest though."

"No way! I'm still raring to go! You can't put Naruto Uzumaki down. I'll go look for a place to stay, believe it!"

Naruto's outburst attracted even more onlookers, causing Kurenai to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Very well," she muttered through gritted teeth, "Go find a place for us to stay."

"Hn." Sasuke stood up as well, and regarded Naruto with an indifferent stare. "Let's go idiot."

"Teme!" Naruto yelled and ran after the form of Sasuke as he melded into the crowd.

Kurenai couldn't help herself, and sunk down to the grass, letting its coolness flood her body. This mission… was so tiring. And, everyone else seemed to think so too, as they all lay down on the grass to think about things.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke pushed their way through the now thinning crowd of people. As the sky turned from a vibrant blue to a flaming orange, the crowd was gradually dissipating. Still, it was incredibly clustered, and Naruto and Sasuke both had to fight to make it through.

Eventually, after walking for a bit, they came across an Inn. It was painted white, with a sign that swung lightly in the breeze. It read 'The Bee and the Barb'. It seemed to be rather large, and hopefully had enough rooms to house the group.

Exchanging a look with Naruto, Sasuke shrugged. Better than nothing. "You goin' to ask, Teme?" Naruto inquired. His eyes seemed glazed over, and a drop of drool fell from his mouth. Sasuke looked at him with disdain for a few moments, and then answered.

"Maybe. But, where will you be?"

The blonde gave a foxy grin, before gesturing behind him with his thumb. There was a ramen stand. The owner was a rather burly man, with a thick brown goatee. Naruto's mouth was practically watering.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, before he turned and walked away. Naruto grinned happily, before he turned, examining the cart with feral eyes.

Sasuke made his way into the Inn with a stoic expression on his face. He was somewhat surprised by how little the place was populated.

The room he had walked into was decently sized, and open ended. A straight narrow path lead forward to a desk and to the side of the desk were two sets of stairs. All around the room were sets of chairs and tables.

"Hn," Sasuke muttered as he walked across the red carpet. Assortments of plants lined shelves and filled the corners of the room.

The Uchiha reached the desk, and looked expectantly at the receptionist. He was a male, probably a few years older than him, with jet black hair. He was thoroughly looking at a newspaper, a bored look on his face.

Sasuke waited. And waited. After a full three minutes of waiting, he grasped the newspaper, and threw it to the side.

The man's purple eyes stared at Sasuke with malice. He returned his gaze with his own eyes, obsidian, and filled with anger. They stayed locked in this battle for a while, just staring at each other until the other one broke.

They were both interrupted as someone came down the stairs.

"Jiro, what are you doing!?" A rather rounded man yelled. He had thinning grey hair, and a thick grey moustache.

"Hn," 'Jiro' said, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sorry about that young sir, what can I do for you today?"

"Are you the owner?"

The man smiled toothily. "Yes! I am the proprietor of this here hotel. I presume you want a room, yes?

Sasuke explained in as few words as possible about his predicament to the man, who nodded along in agreement.

"Ah, okay. So, we currently have many rooms available, and we shall book you in. How many of you did you say there were?"

The Innkeeper walked behind the desk and pushed Jiro roughly out the way, before looking down at the guest book. Sasuke had looked over it before. It was very empty.

"Eight."

The Innkeeper nodded. "We have four rooms available with two beds. Is this acceptable?"

Sasuke went to nod, but was interrupted. A loud thunderous crash sounded from outside.

"Wha-"

The man didn't get time to finish as Sasuke rushed outside, a hand on his kunai pouch and his eyes blazing red.

* * *

Sasuke burst through the doors of the inn, knocking one of them off there hinges. He expected attack, and looked to ascertain where Naruto was.

He grimaced immediately when he saw Naruto swearing loudly at the owner of the ramen cart. Said cart had collapsed into pieces, splinters lying everywhere and ramen pooling on the ground.

"You brat!" The owner of the ramen cart sneered, a rather burly man with brown hair.

Naruto puffed up his chest, and yelled, "It's what you get! How dare you say your ramen is better than -!"

The man growled, and produced a knife from his pocket. "You ruined my livelihood you maggot!"

The blonde scoffed loudly, and crossed his arms over his chest, "I probably saved all the poor people from eating your piss poor shit!"

"Hey, what's going on here?!" The owner of the Inn barrelled outside. He looked at the ramen cart owner. "What's wrong brother, and why all the mess?"

Sasuke's grimace grew even darker. Oh shit.

* * *

Kurenai was not surprised when Naruto and Sasuke came back defeated. She didn't question why they were both covered in ramen and breathing hard. She simply got up, motioned for Ino and Hinata to follow her, and went on her way.

* * *

"K-Kurenai-sensei, how long till you think we'll find S-Sakura?" Hinata inquired.

Kurenai smiled softly at her student. "Soon Hinata, soon."

Ino watched them both carefully. They both seemed to have a sisterly relationship, which was cute in a weird way. Hinata was always the quiet type. Half the time she needed to send chakra to her ears to even hear the girl speak. But, she was kind. And loved Naruto unconditionally. It was true, and honest, and pure love. Anybody with half a brain could see that. Except for Naruto, as he only had one quarter.

It wasn't like herself and Sasuke. You couldn't call that love. Sure, she felt something for him, that much was certain. But, Hinata adored Naruto with every fibre of her being. Every single little morsel belonged to him, and he didn't even know it. It was saddening.

She cast a solemn glance in the girl's direction. And yet, she always seemed, shy as she was, so very innocent. So very pure. It was touching, and a breath of fresh air.

Immediately thoughts of Shikamaru flooded her brain. The way he spoke, the way he complained, the way he would sit on that lazy ass of his and look at the clouds…. It was frustrating. Maybe that was why she was so confused. Because he was so infuriatingly frustrating all the time, for Kami sake! And yet…. She always felt it. Always. The subtle flutter in her chest when he was near.

Why did she ask him if she should ask Sasuke out on a date? She hadn't thought about that question. There was no reason to do so. None at all. He wouldn't have responded positively anyway. Probably sighed and shrugged it off. So… why didn't he? And why did this thought bring some warmth to her body?

Was it because he seemed…jealous? The thought made sense. Why else would he react like that?

Sasuke never showed anyone any affection, ever. Sure, she had noticed that he had been 'opening up' since Sakura had been kidnapped-

She stopped. She stopped herself right then. What was she doing!? Debating about Shikamaru and Sasuke and crushes when Sakura was probably being tortured right at this instance! How could she be so careless and selfish?

And so, with some new found resolve, and steeled eyes, she pushed those thoughts into the back of her mind. This was mission mode. This was her chance to prove she could be useful to the team. And, the small shy voice in the back of her head whispered "And to Shikamaru."

* * *

The inn looked shady. Kurenai could admit that. And, she was taking two fifteen year old girls into a bar that stank like death from outside. Yeah, this could be bad. But, having asked a few people, this was one of the only ones with enough rooms to support the whole group.

"Hinata, Ino, I want you to stick close to me. You understand?"

Both kunochi nodded in response, and Kurenai pushed open the front door. The stench of stale smoke and drunken men reached out and claimed them. With a cough, the elder kunochi walked into the bar fully.

It was dimly lit, with a multitude of drunken men sat around laughing merrily. The air was filled with smoke, and Kurenai had to cover her mouth at first to keep from vomiting. The smell of stale piss and vomit was also present.

Hinata's face was scrunched up, her nose twitching. Ino fought the urge to wretch.

Still, they were kunochi. They would deal with this again, in probably much larger quantities. And this caused Ino and Hinata to shiver.

All the men seemed to stop as the three women casually began walking over to the bar. All eyes were on them. Some of them curious, others slightly annoyed, and others lecherous.

Kurenai resisted the urge to break every single one of their bones. Hard as it was, she thought she could persevere.

She couldn't even reach the bar.

A man had reached over, with his large burly hand, and cupped one of her butt cheeks, giving it a hard squeeze.

The air turned from stale to ice cold. Kurenai froze, her eyes becoming fiery and dark. Hinata gulped, and her eyes widened. Oh dear.

The man was chuckling lecherously, and began to give her butt another tight squeeze.

Kurenai's hand darted backwards, grasping the man's wrist and crushing it with no effort. She pulled him forward, and he fell out of his chair. Raising her foot upwards, he sole of her foot connected with the man's nose, breaking it. He went flying upwards, and landed with a thud on the floor.

The other two men on the table rose menacingly. Because they were so inebriated, they did not realise the strength of Kurenai. One man, the smallest of the lot, let out a drunken roar, flipping the table over and charging for the dark haired Jōnin.

She swiftly turned around, catching his outstretched fist, before flipping him over her. He collided with the bar back first.

The other man retrieved a knife from his pocket and swiped at Kurenai. She ducked, kicking her leg out and shattering the man's knee. Without a second thought, she rose, grasped him by the throat, and threw him to the side. He collided with another group's table, sending their drinks flying everywhere.

Ino looked on in a mixture of horror and awe. Hinata grabbed her by the wrist and shook it. "We need to go…" she trailed off as she leapt out of the way of another man, having been grabbed by Kurenai and thrown backwards. "Kurenai-sensei hates perverts. This is going to be bad."

Ino nodded, and both girls tried to creep out. It failed, however, as a tall man, well over seven foot, blocked the door way suddenly. "Your with tha' girl who's hurting all me mates!" he roared, his breath afoul of one to many alcoholic beverages. Ino's eyes hardened and she used a secret technique that her mother taught her so long ago.

With a hard kick to the nuts, he fell on the ground clutching them. With a click of her tongue in dismissal, Ino stepped over the fallen and groaning body of the man. Hinata took one look back, just to make sure her sensei was okay. She was. And the local hospital would be getting quite a few patrons. She cringed as Kurenai snapped someone's arm, before she hastily made her exit.

* * *

Naruto and the group had been resting when Kurenai, Hinata and Ino made their return. Kurenai kept cracking her knuckles menacingly and muttering about stupid perverts.

Ino had explained to them when she got questioning looks that Kurenai had most likely hospitalized the whole bar/inn, and they would not be welcomed there anytime soon.

The day seemed to be getting hotter, much to Kiba's chagrin. With a defiant grumble, he swore he would find an Inn for them to get into. And so, with Akamaru in tow, they both made their way down the street.

Kurenai was not surprised when her male student came back with a bloody nose. She didn't feel like asking, if she was honest.

Hinata took out some healing balm and began rubbing it over Kiba's nose. With a sigh, Kurenai leant back. Maybe she could rest a bit…

"This is all your fault Naruto!" Ino yelled as he pointed at her fellow blonde. He scoffed.

"My fault!? It's not my fault!"

"Hn, yes it is. If you hadn't started an argument with that ramen guy, we would have a place to stay."

"Shut up Teme!"

The whole group descended into a argumentative state, much to Kurenai's annoyance. She too eventually joined in, hoping to try and calm the group down.

Nobody noticed as Hinata slipped away silently.

She was gone for a full fifteen minutes when she came back, looking a bit sheepish. The group was still arguing, albeit a bit less heatedly thanks to Kurenai's assertions that too many raised voices would result in beatings.

Her voice was quiet as she spoke, but they continued to overlook her. She sighed, being used to it, and decided to raise her voice.

"I found us a place to stay."

Kiba's acute hearing caught on as his ears twitched. He let go of Naruto's collar, and cocked his head to the side. "What did you say Hinata?" he questioned. Everyone stopped their arguing and turned to look at the Hyȗga heir puzzled. Hinata blushed brightly, before continuing.

"I found us a place to stay."

Everyone's jaw slackened slightly. Even Sasuke looked a bit abashed.

"Wha-When!?" Naruto burst out.

Hinata blushed even harder. "W-while you guys were a-arguing I went around t-town to find us an Inn. It took a little while, b-but I found one with enough rooms for us a-all. We'll h-have to share t-though."

"Share?"

"Y-yes. We need to s-share. We have three rooms with two beds each and one room with three beds each. For Lee."

Everyone seemed to think for a moment. Before Hinata knew it, she was being lifted up in the air by an orange jump-suit wearing boy. "Hinata you're the greatest!" He cheered loudly.

Hinata's whole face was enveloped by red, and soon she fainted. Which led to Naruto almost dropping her, and then she landed on him.

"Hey, Hinata? Hinata! Quick, someone get her help!"

Sasuke, for the first time in his life, face-palmed.

* * *

Tenten clenched her teeth. This was taking too long! If they were allowed to run at full speed, they would be there by now!

Gai seemed to see Tenten's fears, and shot her a beaming smile. "Do not worry Tenten. We shall soon find someone youthful to cure our Lee!"

Tenten rolled her eyes, and her frown never ceased.

The continued dodging to and fro through the crowds, Gai apologizing, while Tenten did not. She didn't care about these people right now. She cared about her teammate.

She turned her gaze towards him. He was sickly, his breath ragged and slowing. Fast. She blinked back tears as she picked up the pace.

Eventually they reached a place that Tenten knew about. Having 'asked' the locals about where the nearest clinic was, they explained fearfully that there was indeed a clinic in this city. It was the other side of town.

It was the gambling part of town, full of flashy lights and drunken people. All manner of gambling and drinking establishments surrounded them. Tenten grimaced as she dodged a drunken man who stumbled over. Who puts a clinic near a gambling district!?

Tenten and Gai were forced to stop in their tracks as an explosion of dust enveloped their line of vision.

As it cleared, a man was left, broken and battered on the floor. A woman, tall and powerful, leaned over him.

Tenten momentarily stopped worrying, and her mouth slackened. Standing in front of her, was the Slug Princess, one of the Legendary Sennin, Tsunade Senju. Her idol.

"Lady Tsunade!"

The tall blonde woman froze, turning her head to the side, her sizeable bust following after a moment. She didn't recognize the girl, but the man that was with her….

Oh shit.

A brunette clutching a pig ran out of the gambling hall's new entrance. "Lady Tsunade!" she called out in exasperation, with her pig snorting in agreement.

"Yosh! If it isn't one of our youthful own, Lady Tsu-"

Gai never finished his sentence as Tsunade quickly grasped Gai and Tenten by the wrists and pulled them roughly into an alley.

The brunette gave a smile to some onlookers, before she scurried after them.

"Gai, what do you think you're doing here!?" Tsunade questioned. The Green Beast's face changed from jovial to a hardened exterior.

"I'm on a mission, Lady Tsunade. I'm afraid I cannot spill the details just yet-"

"Please, help my teammate! He's badly injured, and possibly poisoned! Please Lady Tsunade!"

Tenten was on bended knee, her eyes pleading with the Slug Princess.

Tsunade looked down at the pleading kunochi, and then to Lee perched on Gai's back.

"Shizune!" she barked, as the brunette girl came into view, panting.

"Yes Lady Tsunade…. Why did you have to run down so many alleyways?"

"That doesn't matter! You need to head back to the base and check over this boy," Tsunade gestured to Lee.

"Why can't you do it?" Tenten questioned. Tsunade shot her a dark glare, before she pushed past Shizune.

"I'll meet you back in the base in a while. I need to grab some supplies."

Shizune nodded, but inside she was shaken. Tsunade refused to help a boy in need? How far her master had fallen. She wouldn't be getting supplies, would she? No, she would go get some sake.

On the outside, Shizune smiled brightly, trying to reassure the brunette kunochi. "Don't worry; I'm a Medic Nin, apprenticed under Lady Tsunade. My name is Shizune. Come, I'll take you to our base."

* * *

Night had fallen, shrouding the forest in a dark cloak of terror. Silently, four ninja hopped between branches, their eyes ever alert.

"Do you see anything Neji?" Kakashi asked, as the group stopped for a moment.

Neji shook his head. "Everything seems to be inconclusive. No sign of Sakura or any enemy movements."

Kakashi nodded, and behind his mask he frowned. He was hoping to find Sakura before the night was out, so they could go home quickly. That didn't seem to be the case. From the position of the moon, it must have been... Ten hours since they started their search. That made it three am.

They hadn't stopped, because of the insistence of the others. Minus Shikamaru, who wanted to stop after every jump. In fact, he was craving this rest as he slumped against a tree. Shino stood idly by, in conversation with his Kikaichȗ.

"Hm, okay. Shino, did you find anything?"

Shino's shake of the head was barely visible through the gloom. "No, nothing. I have not been able to detect a single trace of chakra. The base is obviously not around here."

And that brought Kakashi back to his… well, he didn't know if it was his main or secondary objective. How was he to find Itachi? The Third said this amulet would help him find the man, and it had done nothing so far. He placed his hand in his pocket, fiddling with it.

Nope, nothing.

"Okay. We'll keep going to the edge of the tree-line, till we hit another batch of plains.

That was Orochiasu. The whole area around the town was plains and hills. The stuff around that was a thick curly forest. They had managed to explore maybe a tenth of the forest today. And there was still so much to go.

With a mutter of 'troublesome' from Shikamaru, the group continued.

Eventually, they reached the end of the tree-line. It expanded into a wide open plain. The dark seemed to swallow up all sight.

"Can you see anything, Neji?"

The long haired Hyȗga shook his head in annoyance. "No, nothing. She's not around here, that I'm-"

He stopped when Kakashi let out a gasp of pain, his hand retracting from his pocket.

The Copy Ninja frowned slightly, examining his hand. Was it… burned? A searing sensation in his leg seemed to acknowledge his train of thought. Coating his hand with chakra, Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out the amulet. It glowed a bright red, as if it was slowly burning.

"What's that? And what's it doing?" Shikamaru sighed. He was seriously tired. He didn't have time for this.

"It's the Uchiha Heir amulet. It's meant to glow when the heir to the Uchiha is near. And burn when he is in danger!"

"Uchiha heir?" Shino intoned. "Impossible. Why, you ask? Because Sasuke is back at Orochiasu. Why would he be out here? And we would have detected his chakra signature anyway."

"Because it's not Sasuke we're looking for. It's Itachi Uchiha."

Neji visibly bristled, Shikamaru almost fell over in shock, and Shino raised his eyebrow in question. "The missing-nin?"

"How many other Itachi Uchiha's do you know? So troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered.

"I see," Neji began, turning his gaze on the Copy Ninja, "We're here to capture an S rank missing Nin, and not save Sakura?"

"No," Kakashi snapped, "We're here to bargain with the missing Nin, and save Sakura. There's not time for argument. Prepare for battle. Do not attack Itachi Uchiha, do I make myself clear?"

"Hai," they all agreed, before they leapt from the trees and onto the plain, rushing forward.

Kakashi grimaced. Nothing could ever go right, could it? Well, this was his mission. And did those ever go right?

* * *

**And there we go! A battle next chapter, I can assure you! Remember to check out The Rejected Child, if you would be so kind. I hope you enjoyed chapter sixteen of the Winds of Change. Have a great Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello everybody, and welcome back to chapter seventeen of The Winds of Change! I hope everybody had a fantastic Christmas, or whatever you celebrate around that time period, and an amazing New Year. I myself got a ton of anime, which should be awesome to watch :D. Anyway, this chapter is very OC based, and almost entirly fight based. As always I apologize for the the spelling and grammar mistakes which I may have missed. I was wondering, would anybody be interested in being my beta reader? Just for spelling and the like? Please PM me or talk to me about it in general :).**

**But, right now I want to talk to you guys about an important topic regarding this story, along with an announcement. But, that can wait until after you've finished the chapter, right? I hope you enjoy, and without further ado, I give you chapter seventeen of the Winds of Change!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. There, I said it.**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen:

* * *

The darkness was enveloping the plains. However, the small light of a campfire managed to keep some area illuminated.

Fenris, Raion and Utsuro sat around it silently, contemplating everything that happened to them. Raion kept shooting them both wary glances, which Fenris returned full force.

In the only upper room, Gurei was doing a scanning Jutsu.

"Hm, you'll be fine Kataki. You'll ache for a few days, but you've managed to reset all of your ribs, and anything you couldn't do I've done."

Kataki grimaced and flexed his shoulder. "Thanks."

Gurei nodded, before he reached over to a table on the side. He grabbed a scalpel, and a test tube. "You ready for your blood test?" The medical nin asked.

"Yeah," Kataki answered, squaring his shoulders. Gurei swiftly cut a thin line on Kataki's back, and he watched the blood slowly drip out. Holding his test tube under the cut, he waited until three drops were in, before he pulled it away, and healed it up.

"There we go. Although, I think it's best to double check your spinal cord, just in case I've missed anything."

Kataki nodded, and moved from his seated position on the edge of the table to lying on his stomach.

The familiar hum of a medical Ninjutsu filled the room with a green glow.

"How have things been with Fenris?"

Kataki let out a small groan. "He won't leave me alone."

Gurei shook his head as his hand's moved down the blood Nin's bare back. "I know. We all know. Kura think's it's cute you have a sex slave."

Gurei chuckled as Kataki let out a slow whine. "He's become so attached to me; he refuses to leave my side. He's become my bodyguard."

"That's what you agreed to," Gurei reminded him.

"Yes, but I expected him to take a break for a while at least! The only reason he's down there right now and not here is because I gave him orders to keep an eye on Raion."

"Uh-huh," The med nin intoned, as his gaze turned towards the door. He gave a small nod.

"Yeah. It's not like I mind having him around, but all the time… it gets a bit much."

"But, didn't you used to have people follow you around anyway?"

"Yes, but once again, they took breaks!"

Kataki didn't notice as the green glow stopped, or the hum.

"I can understand that's how he's been treated his whole life, as nothing more but a slave, but it gets ridiculous. He's a fantastic fighter, and saved me back against that Akatsuki woman, but everyone needs a break. Even him."

Kataki froze slightly as he realised he was getting a… back massage?

"Please continue," a voice purred behind him. Kataki rolled his eyes, and relaxed again.

"Kura, really? Gurei's giving me a medical examination."

"I'm giving you one too."

The blood nin snorted, and Kura laughed, bringing her face to the small of his back. "We need to check your sexual organs are still in full function."

She pressed a kiss to the small of his back, and Kataki chuckled. "No Kura."

She pouted. "Why? You always used too."

"Yes, but not while we're on a rescue mission."

"But I need it."

"You don't."

"I do."

"You don't."

"I do…"

"You don't-"

He was cut off as Kura swiftly flipped him onto his back, and pounced on him. Her dark brown orbs met his own, and she smiled seductively.

"You can't escape," she whispered, as shadows began to bind his arms and legs.

"Really Kura? Right now?"

"Yes," She chuckled, kissing his neck," Why not now."

"I can think of plenty of reasons-"

"I highly doubt your sex toy is going to get jealous, hm?" She pressed a kiss on his bare chest, raking her nails across it.

"Come on, it'll be-"

A sharp cough from the doorway stopped Kura's on-going seduction. She smiled at the interrupter.

"Hello sensei."

Itachi gave her a stern look, and with a deep sigh, she realised Kataki's binds and got off of him. "Fine, fine," she sighed, "But I will get you later." She promised, and, with that, faded into the shadows.

Kataki let out an annoyed grunt. "Couldn't you have interrupted earlier, sensei? Before it was getting good?"

Itachi's mouth curled into a frown, and Kataki bit his tongue, and bowed his head. "Sorry sensei."

The Uchiha stepped into the room and over towards the table. He looked disapprovingly at Kataki, who muttered his apologies. "Could you please refrain from sexual activities with Kura?"

"Hai sensei."

With a nod, Itachi continued, "How are you feeling?"

"Good. A bit sore, but Gurei says I'll be able to fight in a day or so."

Itachi once again nodded, his face talking a thoughtful expression. "And he's done the blood-test?"

"Yes sensei."

"Excellent. I trust it was satisfactory?"

Kataki shrugged. "I don't know. We never got that far. I was attacked by Kura, remember?"

"How could I forget? It's good that you are well. How have Fenris and Utsuro been?"

"They've complied, sensei. Although Fenris seems to have taken a liking to me-"

"And you will use that to your advantage. Loyalty is a rare trait these days, and Fenris is utterly loyal to you. He can be a valuable tool."

"Surely he needs a break every once in a while, though?"

"That's his decision, not yours. If he wishes to work to please you, then you let him. It's his choice what he does with his life."

"Well, what if his infatuation with me-"

Itachi chuckled slightly. "Infatuation? It's not an infatuation. It's loyalty."

"I…" Kataki began, but bowed again, "Forgive me, sensei. I shall allow Fenris to do as he wishes."

"Good. I presume you have been training hard?"

"Yes. The technique is almost perfected. Give me another few days."

Itachi grimaced. "Hm, we may not have that long…"

"Sensei?"

"Never mind. Tomorrow we shall be going after Tali."

Itachi span on his heel and made his way to the doorway. Kataki frowned. "You know where she is?"

"Yes."

Kataki went to voice something, but stopped. "I trust your judgement, sensei."

Itachi smirked. "That is loyalty, Kataki. Trusting in someone. Remember-"

The Uchiha was cut off as a loud explosion ripped through the farmhouse. And, quick as a flash, Itachi dived forward, grabbing Kataki bridal style, before he leapt out the nearby window as the farmhouse began to crumble violently.

* * *

Raion stoked the fire with a stick as he kept his eyes firmly fixated on Fenris._ "That asshole,"_ he thought, shaking his head, _"Thinks he's amazing because he took down an Akatsuki member. Humph, big deal."_

"Raion," Gurei chided teasingly from across the fireplace, "Stop your brooding."

Raion snorted. "Right, that's Kataki's job."

Fenris seemed to bristle slightly at his 'masters' name, and frowned. Raion smirked. So, this was a way to annoy him? Two birds with one stone!

"I mean, Kataki really didn't do anything during that fight. He was squashed. That's about it."

"And you got taken down by a bunch of shambling corpses."

"There were hundreds of them!"

"We faced off against the member of a terrorist organisation!"

Gurei rolled his eyes at their antics, while Utsuro, who was sat nearest to Raion, watched on curiously.

"Seriously guys, stop arguing. Especially you, Raion," Gurei gestured with his pen towards the dark skinned nin.

He grimaced. "What did I ever do!?"

"Started arguing. You both had pivotal roles to play in the battle, okay? Good."

"I was less injured…" Raion argued, causing Fenris to scoff.

"Please. That means nothing. And besides, I'm not the one with a bandage around their waist," he sneered.

Raion grunted as if to acknowledge that fact, a hand running over his stomach.

"Do you need me to check you out?" Gurei inquired, a sincere smile on his face. Raion waved him off.

"No, I'll be fine. Just a little ache, that's all.

"Do people argue like this a lot?" Utsuro asked to no one in particular. Gurei answered for her.

"Depends how stupid the people are, really."

"Hey-"

Raion was cut off as a barrage of shuriken flew out of the darkness. Utsuro moved at lightning speed, senbon coming out of her kimono sleeves. She deflected the shuriken with a metallic clang.

Behind them, a man leapt out of the shadows, kunai drawn, ready to strike down Fenris. The snowy haired in had no time to reach for his sword, but Raion did. He caught the man's wrist before it pierced Fenris' shoulder. He cocked his fist back and swung. The man dodged, before he drove his knee into Raion's injured gut. A glob of blood escaped his lips, and he collapsed onto his knees, letting go of the man's hand.

Fenris had just enough time to grasp the hilt of his sword, and swing it hard. The man blocked it with his kunai, and flipped backwards, and into the darkness.

Fenris let out a guttural growl. "The Sound Five."

"Who?" Raion rasped as Gurei made his way over to him, his hands glowing green.

"Orochimaru's elite bodyguard..." Utsuro answered, senbon appearing in her hands from her sleeve.

Out of the darkness, three figures appeared. The first was a ginger haired girl, who held a flute in her hand. The other was a dark skinned male, with four spider like arms.

The final one was tall and lithe, with pale skin and white hair that ran down his back. His eyes were jade green, and a singular red dot adorned his forehead.

Fenris grimaced. "Kimmimaro."

'Kimmimaro' regarded Fenris with indifference. "Fenris."

They both stood there, regarding each other with cold eyes. "What do you want?"

"We want the blood user," the ginger haired girl said, twisting her flute around in her fingers.

"And you're going to give him to us." The four armed man began. "That is, if you want to live."

Utsuro giggled lightly. "Funny."

The four armed man turned to look at her. "What did you say?"

"You look funny. Something weak, and easy to kill." She giggled again.

"Kidōmaru," Kimmimaro scolded, frowning. "Back off."

"You're scared!" Raion yelled suddenly, smiling triumphantly as he stood back up, his stomach healed. "Hah! Definitely not elite-"

"Earth Style: Sphere of Graves!"

A giant ball of earth cascaded through the charred farmhouse, destroying all remnants of it with a thunderous roar.

The group leapt to the side to avoid the giant boulder. But, their battle had only just begun.

* * *

Utsuro was the first to right herself, which made her the first target. Kidōmaru charged at her, a kunai in each of his four hands.

Utsuro managed to deflect the first set of blows with her senbon, but one of the blows during the second set of attacks got through, cutting through her kimono.

She grimaced, before ducking another slash, viciously kicking Kidōmaru in the gut. Without waiting, she swiftly brought a senbon into the lower half's arm's wrist. The spider like ninja let out a cry of pain, but he separated himself from her with a kick to the stomach. As she flew backwards, he spat out a web.

Utsuro dodged to the side in the nick of time.

Kidōmaru grimaced. This kid was going to be far more trouble than he originally thought. Ah well, all the more fun to toy with them. He always liked playing games with his prey.

Utsuro didn't seem to want to wait for his meanderings as she threw a flurry of senbon. He dodged out of the way, and began to form some of his sticky gold to fight with.

The white haired nin went to retaliate when a large man came tumbling out of the sky straight towards her. She leapt out of the way as he collided with the floor, creating a small crater.

With a grunt, he charged once more.

However, he was intercepted by a tendril of blood that wrapped around his wrist, pulling him backwards.

Kataki leapt out of the shadow's and made a flurry of hand signs, "Blood Shuriken!"

Globs of blood spat out of his wrists, eventually forming into three large shuriken. The large man ripped away from the tendril and made some hands signs of his own. "Earth Style: Earth Wall Jutsu!"

A large wall of earth rose from the ground quickly, just in time for the shuriken to crash into it, before they turned into pools of blood.

Kataki cursed, and went to leap over to help Utsuro, when something collided with his shoulder. He was sent flying sideways, but soon righted himself, despite the pain.

Kimmimaro stood there, bones protruding from the top of his hand like claws.

"Kataki Rimen. Lord Orochimaru has interest in you."

"Yeah," Kataki began, unsheathing his dual katana. "I'm sure."

They ran at each other and clashed.

* * *

Raion grimaced as Gurei roughly pushed him out of the line of fire, a deep pain rumbling in his chest. Gurei blocked a pale man with grey hair and green lip stick. They pushed back and forth, before Gurei purposely let the guy gain the upper hand, allowing himself to be pushed back, when he ducked and formed a chakra scalpel. What he didn't expect, however, was another hand to protrude from the man's knee and grab his arm. The look of shock soon turned to one of pain as the man's two arms smashed against the back of his skull.

Raion let out a roar and charged, his fist cocked back with destructive power.

However, he was forced to leap out of the way as a giant beast smashed its club onto the ground. The ginger girl from before smirked, before another large giant, this one blindfolded, and with claw like weapons on its arms, charged forward.

Raion leapt forward, and charged chakra into his fist. With a punch that sent a large shockwave, he sent the giant flying in the opposite direction. However, as he was coming back down, the other giant swung at him with his club. Raion felt some of his ribs break as he was sent flying backwards and into the dirt.

The green lipstick wearing guy, picked up Gurei by the hair, and swiftly kneed him in the face. The crack of his nose was evident as he fell to the floor. "I could have handled that Tayuya," he said frowning.

"Save it Sakon," Tayuya snorted.

Her smirk soon froze when Sharingan eyes pierced back at them from the darkness. "Don't hurt my students."

Oh shit.

Utsuro dodged another flurry of webs, but wasn't quick enough to dodge Jirōbō's punch. It slammed into her spine, causing her to cry out in pain. And as she flew in a direction, Kidōmaru spat out another web, ensnaring her. She let out a cry of pain as she hit the ground awkwardly, twisting her ankle.

"Hehe, this has been a fun game little one, but now it's time for you to die!"

Kidōmaru pulled out a spike of sticky gold from his arm, and raised it above his head, before bringing it down. He was stopped, however, by a tendril of pure darkness. "Hey you four-armed freak, how about you leave my girl alone!?"

Before he knew what hit him, a shadowy tendril grasped one of his lower arms and squeezed, crushing it with a thick crack. He let out a sharp cry of pain, before he was roughly pulled backwards.

He landed back first, and Kura swiftly withdrew a kunai, running out of the shadows and straight towards him. Jirōbō blocked her path, however, withdrawing his hand for a seismic punch. Kura ducked, skirting around Jirōbō's large form, and quickly made a flurry of handsigns.

"Shroud Style: Abysmal Foundation!"

Thousands of tendrils of shadow erupted from a portal that formed under Jirōbō's feet, slowly pulling him downwards. "Heh," Kura began, smirking, "This portal will drag you all the way to hell. Have a nice trip."

"You've forgotten about the enemy behind you!"

Kidōmaru leapt forward, his arm lying limply by his side, broken and twisted.

Kura merely turned her gaze backwards and uttered, "No I haven't."

As soon as Kidōmaru reached her, his three-armed punch ready, she disappeared into black nothingness.

Before he could react, she appeared behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Ninja Art: Shroud Coil!"

Tendrils of dark sprung from Kura's back as they wrapped around both her and Kidōmaru.

"No!" he howled. She was going to crush him into nothingness.

Kura suddenly felt a greet surge of power, and before she could react a meaty red hand wrapped itself around her throat and roughly shoved her to the ground. "Of course, The Cursed Seal!"

Jirōbō had transformed his formerly tanned skin, and it was now red and blotchy. Warts covered his face and arms, and his hair had stretched back and grown longer. He pounded her into the ground twice, causing her to cough up blood before she was thrown away.

"Piece of trash forcing me to use my curse seal!"

"Yeah. Shame you attacked your own teammate too, wise guy."

Jirōbō turned around and was met with the smirking face of Kura, who gestured to the side. Instead of her broken form that had been there only seconds ago, it was Kidōmaru, who slowly pushed himself upwards.

"So easy to put into a Genjutsu. I must say I'm not that impressed. Sound Five? Elite bodyguards? Bah! A fatty like you has nothing on a goddess like me!"

Jirōbō let out a titanic roar before charging.

* * *

Kataki let out a grunt of pain as a bone sliced through his side. This guy… was something else. He was strong. Even at full strength, it would take all he would have to beat him. And even then, it might not have been enough. Every slash, every kick and punch he made was precise and to the point. His poise was phenomenal. Bones jutted out of, not only his hands, but his elbows, knees and shoulders. And even though everything was precise, it was also random and so unpredictable Kataki felt as though Itachi-sensei would have trouble keeping up with it.

With an acrobatic flip into the air, Kimmimaro ended up behind the blood user. Quickly charging forward, he swung his leg around for a kick. Kataki swung around and blocked with his katana. However, a bone protruded quickly from Kimmimaro's shoulder, and pierced Kataki's. He let out a cry of pain, before the bone was retracted and Kimmimaro did a spin, the bones slicing across his chest. And, finally, using the momentum he gained from the twist, he pushed his hand forward. However, Kataki was more resilient than he thought, and had quickly used a substitution jutsu and exchanged himself with a rock.

Kataki let out pained breaths. The blood seeped from the cuts on his chest, and he sucked in a sharp breath. Slowly, the blood began to pool around his feet, and as Kimmimaro rushed towards him, he slammed his palm down.

"Vessel Rupture!"

A vast quantity of blood shot through the ground, creating a shape akin to a shark's fin. At such speed Kimmimaro didn't have time to dodge, and the blood fin crashed into him with explosion of blood.

As the blood settled, Kimmimaro retracted the bone's that shielded him from the fin back into his body.

Kataki grimaced. Shit, that was one of his best techniques, and he held it off easily. Shit!

He made a quick hand-sign, and three clones materialized from the blood. Quickly, they all scattered forward.

Kimmimaro let out a non-committal grunt, before he raised his hands outward. Out of his fingertips, a barrage of bone fragments hightailed it out at full speed. The fragments easily cut through the blood clones rendering them into red pools.

Kataki was running out of options now. He didn't expect this… freak to cut them down so quickly.

"Come with us. This will be your last warning," Kimmimaro intoned, cracking his neck as if he was warming up.

"You'll have to take my corpse."

"Very well."

And, with that, Kimmimaro leapt forward at a speed which made him look as if he was running watercolour on a running canvas. Kataki quickly made handsigns and slammed his bloody palm onto the ground. A large dome made of solid blood surrounded the blood nin. Kimmimaro didn't stop his sprint, and, with an outstretched hand, he slammed it into the wall.

He heard Kataki let out a sharp gasp of air as he was sent flying backwards. The dome soon 'melted' leaving a thick large pool of blood in its wake.

Kataki lay on his back, blood seeping out of the wound on his chest. Kimmimaro calmly walked over to him, and sent him a scolding look. He did, however, notice that the boy seemed twitchy. Almost as if he was in great pain. His stab couldn't have caused that much damage, could it? No, that didn't make-

Kataki's hand shot upwards, grasping around the leader of the Sound Five's neck. However, the image of Kataki soon disappeared, revealing the contorted face of Fenris.

"Now!"

With Fenris' cry, Kataki rose upwards from the pool of blood, a flurry of handsigns being made. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A burst of flame shot from Kataki's mouth at a high speed.

Kimmimaro didn't have time to frown as six bones protruded from his neck, going through Fenris' hand. He let out a sharp gasp of pain, and was forced to let go. But, Kimmimaro wasn't quick enough as the fireball hit him in the back, sending him flying forward.

Fenris stood unharmed, biting his lip as he opened and closed his hand. Shit, that hurt.

Kataki couldn't help himself as he stumbled onto one knee. He didn't know how much more he could take. And that was the only successful attack that he landed on him! But, he wouldn't retreat. This was going to be honourable. And if he died and honourable death protecting his teammates, then he would sleep in piece.

Fenris' sharp cry of pain stopped Kataki's thoughts as he raised his gaze up. A bone in Kimmimaro's hand was shoved straight through the snowy haired nin's shoulder. He could just see the point sticking out.

"Hm. An impressive tactic," the white haired nin began, "by using your dome as a feint, you managed to get your friend here," he twisted the bone for good measure, and Fenris let out an agonized screech, "into the dome, where you moulded with the blood while he henge'd into you. Very impressive."

Kataki let out a guttural growl. This was getting him nowhere. Both himself and Fenris were at low strength because of the previous battle with the Akatsuki member, and this guy was probably better than her! Even at full strength, they couldn't have been able to take him on.

With a resilient snarl, he stood up. But, that didn't matter. He would die an honourable death. He owed to his team. Both of them.

* * *

Itachi's vibrant red eyes watched the two sound ninja, taking in their every movement. Who would he take out first?

Tayuya didn't give him another option as one of her doki charged forward, its club raised above its head. Itachi simply looked up at it as it came crashing down on him. There was a small explosion. Tayuya frowned, but a spittle of blood soon flew from her mouth as a kunai was embedded in her shoulder. "An interesting tactic," Itachi began, removing the kunai from her shoulder, "and an interesting technique."

With a snarl, Tayuya swung round, swinging her flute around as a club. Itachi simply blocked it with his hand, and, after staring at her for a few long moments with his red eye, he kicked her hard in the stomach. Sakon cursed, before he swiftly withdrew some kunai from his pouch and expertly threw them towards Itachi. The Uchiha simply and swiftly batted them away with one kunai, not taking his eyes off the red-headed form of Tayuya as she stood up. "You bastard!"

Before she could charge, Gurei stood up quickly and charged into her with his shoulder, knocking her backwards. Using his hand, as it buzzed with a chakra scalpel, she tried to slice into her arm. However, a doki appeared, and using its massive claws managed to swat him away.

Itachi frowned slightly, ignoring the massive barrage of kunai and shuriken that Sakon threw at him. Honestly, he expected better from one of Orochimaru's elite bodyguards. He continued to swat them away like flies as he carefully watched as Gurei tried to engage with Tayuya, but her doki blocked his path. Hm, he wasn't acting at maximum efficiency. Itachi pondered this for a moment before he's scoped eyes zoomed in on a small seal on the back of Gurei's neck. "I presume this was your handiwork?" he questioned Sakon. The Sound nin went to retort, but didn't get the time as Itachi's fist rammed into his face. Without a second passing, Itachi gripped the Nin by the collar and smashed his knee into the nin's stomach. A glob of blood flew out of Sakon's mouth, as another blow with the knee connected.

"I think you should remove it," Itachi's eyes spun dangerously, as one of his hands moved upwards from the collar of the shirt to the neck.

"Heh," Sakon couldn't help but smirk, "Intel really dropped the ball with you. They said you didn't care about anyone."

"I care about my students."

"I care about something as well. Beating you!"

A fist materialized from Sakon's stomach, striking a surprised Itachi in the chest. Slightly shocked, Sakon moved in for another shot as his curse seal began to envelop his body. Itachi blocked it with his hand, and leapt up into the air. He swung his foot around, ready to connect with Sakon's head, but another arm shot out and grabbed his foot. The arm in Sakon's stomach fumbled through his kunai pouch before grasping the hilt of one of the blades, and tearing it outwards, ready to strike Itachi's leg.

The Uchiha was not known as a prodigy for nothing as he twisted his body, and with lightning fast reflexes grasped a kunai from his pouch and blocked it. There was a clang of metal, before both opponents broke off, Itachi's kunai flying behind Sakon.

Itachi watched as the seal enveloped Sakon, turning him into a red horned demon. "Well, the curse seal certainly does increase power, doesn't it?"

Sakon let out a slow, evil laugh. "Well, this is Itachi Uchiha? Bah. I will destroy-"

With a quick substitution with the kunai, the Uchiha was behind the sound nin. "You shouldn't brag. Tell me how to break the seal!"

Itachi grasped an arm that materialized from Sakon's back, before thrusting his other hand into his elbow, snapping it in too. A cry of pain, not emanating from Sakon himself, echoed across the clearing.

"Hm, I wonder how many of your limbs I could snap."

Sakon tried to flee feebly as Itachi grasped at his two arms, and with a sharp yank pulled them backwards. He quickly released them, and made a number of handsigns "Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"

Two small fireballs erupted from Itachi's mouth, setting ablaze Sakon's hands. He screamed in pain, his arms now once again clutched in Itachi's arms. The burning seemed to intensify, and so it was not red flames that licked at Sakon's arms, but black.

"Amaterasu."

Itachi's Sharingan eye had changed its shape, and a large stream of blood cascaded out of said eye. Sakon's screams intensified, his curse seal receding as the nature of his pain and suffering shone through. "Tell me." Itachi stated once more, the flames casting him in a dark light.

"Aaahhhhhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhhh! Th-Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Two Pronged Seal-Ahhhhhhhhh!-"

A sick squelch was heard as Itachi mercilessly thrust a kunai into Sakon's head. Twisting the blade, he pulled it out again, leaving a deep hole. The black flames still licked at Sakon's now deceased corpse.

"Nooo!" Another body crawled out of the fire, the black flames now engulfing his body. Itachi just watched as he crawled fruitlessly forward, and with an ear shattering scream, he lay still.

Itachi's eyes cast towards Gurei and Tayuya's battle. With a non-committal grunt, he flew forward. Gurei had just leapt backwards to avoid a club, when Itachi touched the seal on the back of his neck with two fingers. It seemed to fade into his skin.

"Gurei, eliminate her." Was Itachi's sole command before he disappeared into the night.

Tayuya grimaced. Shit, this was bad. The Uchiha had managed to take out not only Sakon, but Ukon as well. And now, the chakra suppression seal that had blocked the med nin's chakra to only thirty per cent was now gone. Just how powerful were these guys?

Her thoughts cost her dearly as Gurei whipped a scroll from his pocket, unravelling it and slamming his palm onto it. "Release!"

There was a flash of white light, before a large, watercolour ape appeared. Beating its chest, it charged forward at a thunderous pace. The doki was sent flying by the shoulder of the ape, and Tayuya had to react quickly to dodge the massive fist that rained down upon her. Bad day. A very bad day.

* * *

Kura had to admit; maybe she had been a bit too… what was the word? Ah, yes. She had been a bit too expectant coming into this battle. It wasn't that she couldn't keep up with this guy, she could. And it wasn't because she couldn't beat this guy, either. She could. But, well, it was getting boring.

Dodging another punch she let out an annoyed sigh. "Seriously, we've been at this for the past few minutes. Can't you do something original? Summon a giant dragon with eight mystical balls that can grant wishes?"

She dodged the combined force of two fists as they crashed into the ground.

"No? Okay, how about you use the sheer power of thought to toss me up into the-"

She once again dodged the stomp, an annoyed scowl playing on her lips. "Okay, seriously? Can you not do anything original? You fat carnivorous bastard, I've seen ants with bigger sex appeal than you."

Before she could dodge out of the way of yet another clubbing blow, her body tightened. Kidōmaru's web had trapped her arms and legs, effectively binding her. "Well shit," she muttered to herself as Jirōbō charged for her. "Probably should have been watching for four arms. This is going to hurt…"

She braced herself for the impact. It never came.

She opened her eyes, and cocked her head to the side. Jirōbō was but an inch from her face, his breath rancid, his body heaving. But he refused to move.

Kura's eyes trailed down his body, when she noticed a long shadow stretching from his feet back into the darkness. And as she turned, she saw the unmistakable glint of a Sharingan eye.

* * *

**And that's it! I hope you've enjoyed chapter seventeen of the Winds of Change! However, some announcements first:**

**I've been thinking a lot about pairings for this story, recently, and I'm somewhat stuck with what to do with four people. Originally, this fic was going to have KakaAnko, and AsuKure. However, now I rather like the idea of KakaKure and AsuAnko. But, on the other side, I'm still fond of the other two pairings. This mish-mash of thoughts about these four pairings has been driving me up the wall, and I can't decide. So, I was hoping you would. Or, at least provide me some feedback.**

**So, what I'm going to do is put a poll up on my profile. You'll be able to pic either KakaKure/AsuAnko, or KakaAnko/AsuKure. Whichever one gains the highest amount of votes by, say, February will be the pairings that I will decide to use. I ask that, even if you don't care, vote anyway. **

**KakaAnko will be a very angsty pairing, as they both have scars. KakaKure will be slightly sweeter and funnier. And much less dirty ;). This could perhaps sway your opinion.**

**I should also point out that the girl who is paired with Kakashi will be featured far more heavily than the girl paired with Asuma. So, if your not sure about the pairings, but you prefer one of the girls over the other, then vote for that girl. I would really like it if you could vote for this guys, because I want your input about where you want the story to go. So, thanks in advanced!**

**Anyway, that's all. Next chapter will take a break from the fighting and will be much shorter than usual, but will contain some characters in high demand.**

**Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello everybody, and welcome back to chapter eighteen of the Winds of Change! I know, two chapters in the space of a day!? Amazing! Well, not really. This chapter is really, really short. Since so many people have expressed interest in how Sakura and Tali are doing, I decided to give them a little chapter of only those two characters. It's mainly dialogue, and some plot progression. But, I hope you still enjoy it! So, without further ado, here's chapter eighteen of the Winds of Change!**

* * *

Chapter 18:

* * *

"This is a stupid idea!" Sakura hissed.

Tali rolled her eyes at the pinkette, keeping herself in the low crouched position she had adopted. "Relax Sakura, everything will be fine."

"No, it won't be…" Sakura mumbled under her breath. The two prisoners were currently trying to shrug off their new titles as they made their way down one of the many grey corridors. Escape was the only option. Well, they could be rescued, or killed. But, those two weren't nearly as epic as escaping from a enemy base.

"Tali, are you sure we should be doing this?" Sakura asked for the umpteenth time. Tali let her brows furrow slightly, but kept her calm smile present on her complexion.

"Yes. As I've said, we can escape easily. Don't worry about it."

"Tali, you got the shit kicked out of you the last time these guys came near us. What do you think they're going to do if they find us trying to escape!?"

"Sakura, I'm not telling you this again. You can go back to the holding cells if you want. But, since you obviously won't, keep it down! There are sound ninja here. They specialize in sound detection and creating sound waves. Every word you utter could draw them closer."

"I know… but, this is god damn suicide!"

"You're very pessimistic Sakura. Maybe you should lighten up."

"I'm not even mentioning that to you anymore."

"Look, it doesn't look that good. But, there's always a bright-side, a silver lining. We could be locked in a dark cave with no clothes, food or toiletries."

"We are!"

Tali shook her head, before looking down to adjacent corridors, and continuing onwards. "Nope, we're not. We're in a dark holding cell, we do have the clothes on our backs, we're given food… once a day, and we have a toilet."

"The toilet doesn't work." Sakura deadpanned.

"Oh yes, I know. Still, better than going in the corner. Look on the brightside."

Sakura couldn't help the small smile that quirked at her lips.

"Look, if it makes you feel better, I could cast a small Genjutsu that muffles sound and we can continue talking-"

She froze, pushing Sakura back against the wall. She made a hand-sign, and the two girls seemed to turn the same shade of grey as the wall. Two sound nin walked past silently.

Tali released the camouflage, and nodded in the direction the sound nin walked. Sakura shook her head violently, shutting her eyes. When she opened them, Tali was already tailing the nin.

She bit her lip to avoid screaming, before she followed.

Eventually catching up with Tali, she went to say something when she was shushed by Tali's finger. Pulling it back, she made a quick flurry of hand seals before whispering, "Ninja Style: Muffle."

Soon a thin vapour of smoke so thin it was almost invisible swarmed around Tali and Sakura's feet.

"This will muffle our voices and movements," Tali explained, motioning for Sakura to follow her once again.

"Right. Anyway, I don't think-"

"So Sakura, tell me about your team," Tali interrupted.

Sakura opened her mouth, and closed it again. "Why?"

"To placate you and stop yourself from hyperventilating the closer we get to wherever these guys are going. So, tell me about them."

"Okay, I guess…. Well, there's Sasuke. He's cool, dark, handsome, a loner, charming, sophisticated-"

"I get the point."

Sakura smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Right, sorry. I used to- well, I still may- have a crush on him. All the girls in my class did. I was so happy to be put on a team with him, and he is a good guy once you get through all the… well, Sasuke-ness."

"So, you liked Sasuke, but disliked Sasuke as a person?"

"No-Well, I mean-Yeah-Well…"

"Okay, enough about Sasuke. What about your other teammate?"

"Naruto? He's an idiot. A fool, a moron and a dunce. But, he's sweet. And really caring. Even though he's the biggest pain in the ass since Kakashi-sensei's lateness."

"Kakashi? The Copy Ninja Kakashi? He's your sensei?"

Sakura smiled. "Yes. How do you-"

"Bingo book," Tali answered as they stopped briefly at the nearest corner. Peering round, Tali watched as the two sound ninja walked into a room.

"Ah. Anyway, he doesn't deserve to be in the bingo book. He's a lazy ass who never teaches us anything apart from teamwork exercises."

Tali snorted. "Sounds like the worst teacher ever. When sensei teaches us, we don't get a break. Luckily he teaches me less than the others."

They both stopped as they neared the door, the sound of voices echoing down the hall.

"Shut it Kan! Sensei is in charge of this mission, and always will be!"

"Hn," a snooty noble voice said back, "I do wish we could meet this 'sensei'," Tali was sure the man was doing imaginary air quotes, "And get the chance to converse with him."

"As if he would converse with the likes of you!"

Tali and Sakura peered around the door. A tall woman with green hair, the very same woman who kidnapped her. was arguing with a fellow with bluish black hair. "Calm down Eliara," another man stepped out of the shadows, his hair slightly shorter, but still long, and green.

"Yes, we should all just calm down."

Tali stopped herself from gasping. That man with the sound headband, he looked like… Gurei? Yes, the resemblance was uncanny. Pale skin, grey hair, glasses…

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked.

Tali, for the first time, scowled. "Could it be… him?"

"Who?"

"Shh!"

Kabuto pushed the two warring people apart. "We need to work together on this. You Akatsuki and you rogues need us to help you, right? We have acquired both the girl from the Uchiha's group, and the girl from Konoha. Now, all we need to do is wait. Eliara, I trust your sensei will be coming to meet Lord Orochimaru shortly?"

Eliara scowled at Kan, but nodded. "Yes. He will be here within the next few days."

"Excellent. This meeting is now adjourned. Kan, tell your men to get ready for the coming assault."

Kan nodded. "Of course. They shall be ready soon. Extend Orochimaru my greetings. And make sure your men are ready as well."

"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto corrected him. Kan scowled, but nodded.

"Excellent."

Tali quickly moved backwards, before swiftly turning on her heel, still crouched, and walking back down the corridor.

"Come on, I've seen what I've needed to see."

"What're you talking about?" Sakura still hadn't moved from her spot, and Tali turned to face her, her bright eyes mischievous.

"I came out to gather information. I found much more than I bargained for and the mission I set for myself has been a success."

"What!?" Sakura hissed, moving away from the door and following Tali.

They rounded a corner, and Tali turned one eye towards Sakura. "Well, what else did you think I was going to do? Escape? Nah, that's god damn suicide."

Sakura had never wanted to kill anyone more so than the girl in front of her. With the lightest of chuckles, Tali and Sakura made their way back to their cell.

Kabuto watched them go, before he clicked his tongue. Foolish girls, thinking he wouldn't see them. They were lucky he cast that Genjutsu to mask their presence. Ah well. And, with the smallest of smiles, Kabuto faded into darkness.

* * *

**And there we go! Hopefully some questions about Sakura and Tali have been answered, along with a whole flurry of new ones coming in. Orochimaru, The Akatsuki and rogue Lightning Nin working together? This can only cause chaos. And, why did they kidnap Sakura and Tali? All will be revealed... sometime ;).**

**Anyway, a really quick question before I end this chapter. This is just a little poll that I want you guys to answer in the reviews. You have two possible choices for chapter 19. You could either have the continuation of the fight scene from seventeen, which will probably also spread into another chapter. Or, you could have a scene which is taking place exactly parallel to the fight. It's pretty much the Sakura Rescue Team being assigned rooms, chatting with each other, drama and arguments, and some humor. Now, this poll will have to be fast. So, the first two reviews will be taken into account, or maybe just the first person to review will get to decide. I wanna start writing this stuff soon, so... well, yeah. You have a maximum of four to five hours, and if nobody reviews in that time scale I'll just go on random list generator and randomly choose which to do.**

***Update!* Voting's closed, it ended up going to a tie, and with the random list generator, it decided the continuation of the fight scene. Chapter 20 will be the Sakura Rescue Team talking, though!**

**Also, thank you for those that voted on the poll. I'll reveal the results on February 14th. I do understand that some of you are having problems with the poll. At first the poll refused to come up for me, for the first day or so. It took a lot of work to put it up. If you honestly can't access it, then that's cool. Just leave your preferred pairings in the review or a PM, and I'll add them to the list. If at the end of the polling period it's a tie, then I'll randomly select the pairings.**

**And we're soooooo close to 100 reviews! I'm super excited. A really special event for you readers will be coming up as we hit that milestone. You'll all enjoy it, trust me.**

**That's all for now! Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello everybody, and welcome to Chapter nineteen of the Winds of Change! I'm in a fantastic mood. I'm sure with all our lovely reviewers we'll reach 100 reviews in time for the 20th chapter. If, and when we do, that chapter will be a big thank you, along with some challenges for you guys, along with rewards. The 100th review will receive a very special prize, but do not worry, all of you will recieve a big treat! I actually typed most of this chapter up tonight, about 5000 words. So, I'm really tired. It's just gone midnight here, but I wanted to get this chapter out tonight. Anyway, without further ado, let's continue the Sound Five's battle with Itachi's group! **

**Note: The first few scenes of this chapter have been beta'd by Dosu2Dinner. Due to time constraints the rest aren't. However, tomorrow I will fix them. This also means that, since I now have a beta reader, grammar and spelling will be much better than before. **

**Make sure to check out the authors note at the bottom for a talk about a Q&A, and without further ado, I bring you chapter nineteen of the Winds of Change.**

* * *

Chapter 19:

* * *

The single Sharingan eye intrigued Kura. Another Uchiha? How interesting. And the person with the shadow? They were stealing her techniques, those assholes!

"Hey, you with the shadow. Yeah, stop stealing my shit."

"Your shit? It's actually my shit," a voice sounded back.

The Sharingan eye closed in exasperation, before another shadow darted past it. The shadow soon turned out to be a tall boy with long brown hair. And pure white eyes, pulsing with veins. Out-reaching his hand, he swiftly cut the binds that held Kura.

Kura smirked. "Oh, a Hyŭga. You're from Konoha then?"

Neji regarded her with a calm façade. "And you are?"

"It's polite for the man to reveal his name first."

As they were bantering, Kidōmaru leapt into the air, throwing a barrage of sticky gold shuriken at the two. They both leapt out of the way, Kura letting out a light chuckle. "Well, I'm not needed anymore." And, with a quick pop, she dispersed.

Kakashi stepped out of the darkness with Shikamaru in tow, although he still kept his Shadow Possession Jutsu active. "She was a clone," Kakashi said to no one in particular.

Kidōmaru was in shock. That was a clone!? They were fighting a clone the whole time!? That was… incredible. If what he thought was true, then this clone was not solid like a Shadow Clone. And yet it still took attacks. So, what, it was a normal clone enhanced! But she did so many high level jutsu's that required such large amounts of chakra.

"It seems, gentlemen," Kakashi interrupted his musings, "That you were almost beaten by a clone with only 10% of her chakra."

Holy shit! Seriously!? She did more high level moves then the both of them combined, and she still almost beat them. Incredible. These kids were something else.

"You know, if you stand down now, we can take you in peacefully. You'll be treated better?"

"Not a chance!"

With those words, Kidōmaru's curse seal began to envelop his body. Soon he was a dark red, his hair growing in length and adopting a white hue. Horns grew on his head, neck and shoulders. He let out a guttural laugh. "You thought you had me before, well now, it's game over!"

With a roar, a large amount of spider webs exploded from Kidōmaru's skin. Neji cursed, quickly spinning around in a fast manner, channelling his chakra. "Rotation!"

A large dome of blue energy surrounded the genin, the webs being disintegrated as they hit it. However, Kakashi and Shikamaru had to leap out the way, forcing the shadow user to let go of his Shadow Possession Jutsu in the process. This allowed Jirōbō movement, and he used it to lethal efficiency. After Neji finished his rotation, Jirōbō's large boulder like fist crashed into his side, hurling him far away.

"Dammit," Kakashi thought to himself as he made a flurry of handsigns. "We've now got two fully curse sealed individuals. I hope the genin can keep up."

As if to prove his point, Shikamaru quickly threw down a smoke bomb, clouding their enemy's vision. "I've got a plan," he whispered. Kakashi nodded as it was relayed to him quickly. Yes, it could work. It would be dangerous, but it could work. With a nod, Kakashi charged out of the fog. Placing a kunai in his hand, he charged straight towards the towering mass of flesh that was Jirōbō. The Sound nin did the same, with great big strides ready to crush the Leaf Jōnin. As they neared each other, and were about to clash, Kakashi did something insane. He stopped running just as Jirōbō was about to knock him out. He then leaned backwards in such a way that Jirōbō sailed right over him. Shikamaru was doing the same, and he quickly released his Shadow Possession Jutsu. As Kakashi righted himself, he made a flurry of handsigns, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A ball of fire erupted from Kakashi's mouth, heading straight towards Kidōmaru. The sound nin quickly leapt into the air to dodge. However, Neji met him, trying to strike him down with his Jyuuken. Kidōmaru quickly formed some sticky gold armour. Neji frowned as his strikes seemed not to affect the sound nin, and he was soon sent flying to the ground with a spinning kick from Kidōmaru.

Shikamaru, meanwhile, had to deal with the gargantuan force that was Jirōbō running straight towards him. With a small grimace, he made a few handsigns. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

A long thin shadow ran from Shikamaru's feet, shooting straight for Jirōbō. The large sound nin leapt into the air to avoid the shadow. That was what Shikamaru wanted him to do, however.

"Water Style: Drowning Funnel Jutsu!"

A blast of water exploded from the ground where Shikamaru was standing, shooting straight into the air and taking the form of a typhoon. It sucked up Jirōbō, closing inwards on him. Shikamaru made a mental note to thank Asuma for teaching Team 10 some elemental techniques. It certainly had come in handy.

However. Jirōbō was stronger, bursting out of the Jutsu with an enormous amount of strength. With a startled gasp, the large nin sped straight towards Shikamaru-

Kakashi was there in an instant, making a flurry of handsigns, before slamming his palm into the ground, "Earth Style: Giant Mud Wall!"

A giant wall of mud, far larger than the common Earth Wall Jutsu, and much sturdier.

Jirōbō barrelled into it, and made a large dent, but did not burst through.

"Shikamaru, go help out Neji." Kakashi commanded, leaping upwards onto the top of the wall. With Shikamaru racing to help Neji, that gave him time to eliminate Jirōbō.

Leaping off the wall, he did a couple of front flips, all the while making handsigns, "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

A dragon made entirely of water burst from the earth, smashing into Jirōbō's cumbersome form. Before the Jutsu had even finished, Kakashi was making another. "Lightning Style: Earth's Current!"

Placing his hand on the floor, a sharp current of electricity scattered through the earth, soon being sent through the water dragon. With an agonizing roar, electricity coursed through Jirōbō's body. As he was still being pinned to the wall by Kakashi's Water Dragon Jutsu, there was nothing he could do.

Kakashi took his eyes off Jirōbō for a moment, scoping out the battle with Neji and Kidōmaru. It did not look good.

Neji and the Sound nin were intertwined in a deadly dance, and all the odds were in Kidōmaru's favour. Every blow the Hyȗga branch member dealt, it did very minimal damage, if any at all. The sticky gold armour was blocking the Jyuuken's special technique, rendering it almost useless.

Neji proved that point as he raced forward once more, palm striking the spider nin in the chest. It did no damage, and resulted in Neji being forcefully punched by two arms. Reeling backwards, he barely had time to block a sticky gold kunai with a real kunai.

Shikamaru, however, was making a plan. Without a moment's hesitation, he readied himself, "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

The thin line of shadow shot out from Shikamaru's feet, heading straight towards the cocky Kidōmaru. However, the spider nin spotted it coming out of the corner of his eye, and leapt upwards. He wasn't prepared for what came next.

Kakashi raced forward, his forearm ablaze with blue pulsing energy. Leaping into the sky, he uttered, "Raikiri!"

Thrusting his hand forward, it penetrated Kidōmaru's sticky gold armour, and his body, protruding out of his now limp back. Kakashi had been dead on target.

However, his Sharingan eye widened as Kidōmaru burst into multiple spiders, forcing him to let go. As he fell to the ground, the spiders poofed out of existence, revealing Kidōmaru. With a small smirk, he made a multitude of hand signs, before yelling, "Summoning Jutsu!"

There was a large poof of smoke, and soon a large black spider about Jirōbō's size burst into view. It opened its mouth as it made its descent, and thousands of little spiders shot out at high speeds. They then turned around, and out of their thoraxes came durable webs. Muttering back curses, Neji and Kakashi darted out of the way.

Shikamaru withdrew a number of kunai, and slapped explosive tags onto them, before taking aim. With a battle cry, he threw the now explosive kunai at the spider summon as it landed on the ground. Spewing forth a few more spiders was the last thing it did as it's thorax was penetrated by sharpened metal, before being blown to smithereens.

His success was short lived as the sound nin who summoned the arachnid landed a little to his side, before barraging him with sticky gold kunai. He managed to deflect most of them, but a few got through his guard, slicing into his left shoulder. With a cry of pain, he dropped his kunai. Kidōmaru took this opportunity and raced forward, a sharpened spear of sticky gold ready to be stuck into some flesh.

Luckily for the leaf nin, it never came. A tendril of pure darkness, thick and menacing raced out of the shadows, crashing into Kidōmaru with a thick thud. He skyrocketed forward, tearing up dirt and rock until he finally landed, and lay still.

Shikamaru turned his gaze to the darkness in shock.

Kura stepped out, a tired sigh escaping her lips. Looking around at the remnants of the battlefield, she scoffed. "Can you guys seriously not deal with these two?" Cracking her neck, she continued, "And by the way, that's how you use the shadows, idiot."

Without waiting for a reply, Kura raced forward, leaving a dumbfounded Shikamaru muttering 'Troublesome women' before speeding off after her.

* * *

Kakashi was foolish to take his eyes off of Jirōbō. Very, very foolish. And he was dealing with the consequences as he dodged another blow barely. Neji and himself had been at this for a while now, ever since dodging the webs that Kidōmaru had graciously tried to gift them. This was much worse.

"Come here meat, and let me crush you!" With another heart-stopping roar, he made a series of quick handsigns, "Earth Style: Two Pillar Grind!"

Two large pillars of earth skyrocketed out of the ground; exactly align with each other to the left and the right of Kakashi. And, with a speed not even the Sharingan could match, they sped towards him. The Copy nin was about to make a quick flurry of handsigns, but didn't get time. Neji had sped behind him, before forcefully throwing Kakashi upwards. As soon as he was out of range, Neji quickly began to spin on the spot. With a cry of, "Rotation!" Neji's chakra formed a blue dome, stalling the two earthen pillars, if only momentarily. This was all the time Kakashi needed, as he made the quick flurry of handsigns he wouldn't have had time to make before. "Fire Style: Explosive Wave!"

The resulting blast of fire chakra pushed back the earthen pillars, blowing them to pieces with a scorching hot attack.

Neji panted heavily as Kakashi landed behind him. Jirōbō ground his teeth in ire. "You keep wasting my time!"

"Neji," Kakashi whispered to the Hyŭga teen, "Is _that_ technique ready?" Neji took a second to react, but gave the slightest of nods.

Given the extra three years that Neji was forced to spend in the academy, he had become bored with the dismal and downright tedious lessons that the academy forced upon them. So, he had got to work learning other things. The Rotation technique was something he had learned recently, and he was already highly skilled in its use. However, there was something far more powerful that he had learned over the course of his life.

"I think I may be able to do it, however I need to prepare the ground first with some Earth Style Jutsu."

"Leave that to me," Kakashi have a small eye-smile. "You focus on gathering the chakra needed."

The Hyŭga branch member gave a nod, as Kakashi leapt over his head. "It's time for your end, Sound Nin. Earth Style: Mud Slide!"

The earth around Kakashi seemed to rise, giving it a sticky texture, before it raced forward. Jirōbō, however, counter-attacked, "Earth Style: Growling Fissure!"

With a stomp of his meaty leg, the earth seemed too spilt into two halves. The mud raced slowly downwards into the fissure, filling it up.

Kakashi could sense the chakra building up in his young charge. He just needed a little more time-

"I think I've had enough of you two. Time for my ultimate technique!"

With a large clap of his hands, Jirōbō began collecting huge amounts of chakra. Kakashi grimaced, he would have to act fast. "Neji!" he bit out in alarm.

"Give me a few more moments Kakashi-sensei-"

It turned out they didn't have a few more moments. Jirōbō had finished gathering chakra, and quickly formed some handsigns. "This is the end! Earth Style: Titan's Fist!"

Jirōbō dug his hands into the earth, and with the largest of heaves pulled out a huge chunk of solid rock. It was bigger than a house, and Kakashi's eyes widened. The amount of strength and chakra needed to perform such a technique… it was insane. These guys were far more powerful than originally believed. Even as Orochimaru's personal bodyguards, this was too much.

"I'm done Kakashi-sensei!" Neji's voice cut through his worry. Good, his technique was ready.

"Good. I'm going to try something Hyŭga. On my signal, you follow through and deal use that Jutsu."

Neji nodded, bracing himself. "Okay, we'll dodge-"

"We're not dodging."

The statement brought the branch member to a halt. They weren't going to dodge? They would be crushed! Not even his strongest technique could break through that, how could he-

The familiar chirping of birds filled the air as Kakashi's arm was enveloped in a sparkling blue stream of energy.

This would, on the outside, look like an extremely stupid move. Meeting such a strong earth Jutsu head on would be suicide in most cases. But, there were no other options. They needed to end this battle now. Shikamaru couldn't handle the other sound nin by himself. They also had to make sure Itachi was alive as well, or this whole mission would have been a waste of time.

While he supposed he could just dodge out the way, it would waste more time. With Kakashi charging the rock, it would either result in its destruction, or at least distract Jirōbō long enough for Neji to get in an eliminate him. Dodging it would only prolong the fight. This had to end now.

With a cry of predetermined victory, Jirōbō threw his giant stone boulder forward. The speed and velocity it rolled at was crazy, tearing up the ground as though it were a sheet of wet paper…

Kakashi grimaced. Whichever way this turned out, it was going to hurt. Badly. Without wasting any more time, and with the sound of chirping birds spurring him onwards, he gave the signal to Neji and charged.

With his Sharingan, he pinpointed where the weakest place to strike the boulder would be. And, if he timed it right…

"Raikiri!"

With that word, Kakashi thrust his hand forward, meeting the boulder. There was a sickening crunch as Kakashi's wrist broke on impact, but the strength and sharpness of the lightning blade managed to break through the gargantuan boulder, causing it to explode and shatter its remains over the battlefield. Kakashi was thrown backwards, landing with a thud. He groaned softly, moving his wrist around experimentally, and letting out a sharp hiss of pain when he moved it. Definitely broken. He leapt up, his eye scanning the area for any sign that Neji didn't reach Jirōbō, that he was getting beaten.

And, to his relief, everything was going to plan.

* * *

Neji was a certified genius. A prodigy. A measuring stick to compare everyone else too. He was the dark secret, and yet the greatest treasure of the Hyŭga clan. And yet, he was nothing.

His Byakugan blazed in anger. He couldn't beat this guy by himself. This guy was about as strong as that Sand nin that Lee had fought, and he had almost won, almost beaten him. But Neji couldn't have. And Neji couldn't have beaten this guy without Kakashi's help.

Why was he so weak? Was this true power? Had the Leaf Village been babying its genin? Never before had Neji faced something he didn't think he could handle. This wasn't Naruto. He could handle Naruto; he had almost beaten the orange dunce after all. But, he couldn't beat this guy. Not alone.

It's always in the weirdest moments when something dawns on you. Whether you're sitting and thinking, practicing, sparring, or eating dinner. Whether you're on the toilet, kissing someone you love, or exacting revenge, things come up in the weirdest places. It was here Neji realised something. He needed his teammates. The shock of this stunned him momentarily. He had always respected his teammates, especially after the Chunnin Exams. And yet he had shunned them for more power, more training with Hiashi-sama. He had abandoned them. He had squashed his friendship with Tenten and physically hurt Lee. His teammates…and friends. It was always in the strangest places that people realise things. He had felt empty when he was training a few days ago, and he couldn't figure out why. He had gone to protect Hinata. His cousin, to protect her. And only her. Nobody else.

The girl they were going to save, Naruto's teammate, Kakashi-sensei's student. And he had neglected her. He didn't come because he wanted to save her. He came because he was ordered. And, for the first time in his life, Neji realised that this was the hardest thing he had ever felt in his life. Only the pain that he felt when his father had died was ahead of it. No amount of physical pain, like the deep cuts on his chest, or the tiredness in his bones could amount to this. The feeling of loneliness. No, that wasn't it. The feeling of abandonment. Of guilt.

All of this rushed through Neji's mind in the space of half a second, and as he struck the panting Jirōbō in the side, he came to a conclusion. He would make things better. He had a job to do, however, and he intended to do it.

After striking the tired Jirōbō on the side, he proceeded to make a number of quick, and yet precise handsigns. The ground under Jirōbō crumbled, and he fell backwards into a deep crater.

He managed to right himself just in time to see Neji's Byakugan take on a darker grey hue. The veins around his eyes bulged far more significantly than before, and his fingers began to have a green hue about them.

"You should be honoured Sound Ninja," Neji's voice had adopted a darker tone, far more sinister than usual. "This is a secret technique passed down from generation to generation of the Hyŭga clan. You will be one of the first to witness it in a long time. And it will be the last thing you will see."

Neji could feel his chakra moulding with the earth, he could feel it pulsing within. This would be the first time he had attempted this technique on a human being. And he was excited.

Neji knew that, with the extra three years that occurred during peace time at the academy, he would need to do something. The lessons were mundane, boring and tedious. And home life wasn't exactly peachy. So, he learned this technique. A technique passed down from his father to himself. A technique so powerful, that the original founders of the Hyŭga clan adapted it. Elemental Jyuuken. The strongest technique of the Hyŭga clan. And the hardest to learn. It took him six months to perfect the Rotation technique. It took him four years to come even close to being able to use the Elemental Jyuuken technique. He could use it, and it was effective, yes. He had made sure to test out it's abilities on the willing Gai. That… didn't go well. However, he didn't know if it was enough to take this guy out. No, it was. This was the prized technique, a sacred blessing that only a few in all of the Hyŭga clan's numbers had ever produced. And he was in control of it.

"Secret Technique: 64 Earth Jyuuken Palms!"

Using his chakra, he formed hands out of the fertile earth, hardening them. Jirōbō, at this point, was trying to leap out of the crater. He was cut off as one of the hands crashed into his side, sending him tumbling back down. What was this? As he tried to channel chakra to his side, he realised he couldn't. These hands… they were blocking his tenkutsu points! Another hand shot out, striking him in the leg and causing him to buckle down to one knee. Another came, this one striking him in the jaw. More came, faster and quicker than the others, striking at the large form of the sound nin. With each blow, more blood trickled from his mouth, his eyes became more glazed over, and his tense form loosened. Eventually, the earthen hands were a blur of speed, almost invisible to the naked eye. But, as with everything, it came to an end. All the hands were now gripping Jirōbō, pinning him in place. Neji panted heavily, his eyes becoming blurry. This technique… it was so draining. But, he had done it. He had brought down this beast of a man. Almost…

"That was sixty-three strikes," Neji panted, before standing up straighter. He leapt into the air, his hand withdrawn. "And with the sixty-fourth, your life shall end!"

Jirōbō could only look on in horror as Neji descended. He struggled for half a second against his binds, but that was all the time he had. Neji's palm connected with his skull, shutting off the tenkutsu point that allowed chakra to flow to the brain. Jirōbō's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his breathing stopped. It was over.

Neji slipped backwards, his breathing ragged. He could feel the weight on his shoulders and neck, the pain. He was tired.

"Yo, Neji, you okay?"

Kakashi's calm voice cut through the haze, if only slightly, and the Hyŭga looked up. "Yeah…" he made his way to his feet. "I'm fine. Target neutralized."

Kakashi gave a small nod. "An impressive technique. But incredibly draining. You sure you can continue?"

"Yes. I have to help my comrades. Let's go."

Neji leapt out to the opposite side of the crater, and raced forward. Kakashi clicked his tongue, his arm hanging loosely at his side. It did take one moment for a person to change. He followed after him.

* * *

Gurei was at the slightest of disadvantages. He could admit that. He was an honest man, and an honest doctor. And this girl was good. Very good. Her doki were fast and yet powerful. He couldn't touch her without them getting in the way, and he could never do enough damage to properly disperse them. Add that to the fact that it was just himself, considering Raion was out for the count and Itachi had disappeared to who knows where. So it was just him, versus three large summons and a capable sound kunoichi. Coupled with the myriad of Genjutsu that this girl knew, it was getting tiring.

He dodged another swipe of the doki's claws, back-flipping and pulling out another scroll. Unravelling it and channelling some chakra, he yelled,

"Release!"

With a loud pop, a large water-coloured snake came to life. It charged forward, racing up the leg of the doki and sinking it's fangs into its flesh. The giant let out a roar, and Gurei momentarily revelled in victory, when another doki charged forward with the intent to kill.

It, however, didn't seem to get the chance. At first, Gurei swore a black shadow had begun to swim around the feet of the doki, but that soon changed when he heard the loud autonomous buzzing.

A cloud of black insects swarmed around the doki for a moment, before they landed. The doki let out a cry of pain, as more and more of the bugs stuck to its skin. Gurei remembered them: Kikaichȗ. The insects commonly used by the Aburame clan of the Hidden Leaf Village.

And, with a loud pop, the doki disappeared.

The water-coloured snake let out a hiss at the swarm of insects. Gurei went to tell it to stop, but the insects merely floated away, over his head. As he turned around, he saw a figure standing there. He had a dark green trench coat that covered most of his body, and a pair of thick glasses on his face. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, surveying the remaining two doki.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Hey," Gurei gave a short direct smile. "Who're you?"

"I am Shino Aburame. Of the Hidden Leaf. Why am I here, you ask? My team leader is to be an emissary to the missing ninja Itachi Uchiha. I was ordered to come around and help you with your battle."

"Thanks, I guess. I'm Gurei."

"Indeed. What're we up against…?"

Shino went to ask, but Tayuya's cuttingly loud voice slashed through the air. "Hey asshole! Who the f*** do you think you are!?"

"Your new opponent, and your end," Shino's voice made its way much slower than Tayuya's across the clearing, slow, deliberate and cold.

"Bah! Fat chance asswipe. Come at me!"

"Her impatience will be her undoing. How have you not been able to take her down thus far?"

Gurei titled his head to the side. This boy was very intelligent. And very noble. He liked noble boys…

He knocked that thought out of his head and spoke, "Her doki. They block every attempt to try and get to her. If I could get to her, she would be dead by now."

"Let me handle the doki. You deal with her yourself."

Shino's gaze turned towards Gurei, and they both nodded. A plan was set.

Shino rushed forward, his Kikaichȗ racing after him, their buzzing filling the air. Tayuya scoffed. "Go, after him!"

The two remaining doki reared their heads upwards and charged.

"Hn," Shino muttered, "This girl is far too impatient." The bug nin sent his bugs a bit farther forward than him, to act as a distraction. A distraction within a distraction, as it were.

He veered off to the right while his insects veered left, splitting the doki in two. Commanding his insects to lead one doki on a wild goose chase, he rolled and dodged the claws of the doki after him. Withdrawing a kunai from his pouch, he threw it at the giant. It simply bounced off. "_So, normal weapons aren't effective. Okay, I can handle that_."

Shino stopped dead in his tracks as the doki came tumbling towards him. Quick as a flash, he pulled out two kunai tied together with a long thin bit of ninja wire. He waited until the very last moment, and flung it away from himself towards the doki. The two kunai embedded themselves in the ground, and the wire was stretched long and thin. The doki rushed forward, and noticed the wire all too late. He then proceeded to stumble over the wire, and began to fall forward.

Shino let out a 'Hn', before he ran through a few handsigns. "Earth Style: Ground Spike!"

A singular spike grew out of the ground, sharp and pointy. The doki fell hard onto it, and, with a puff of smoke and a pop, it was gone.

Shino paused for a moment to consider his next move, and his eyes fell on the lumbering brute chasing after his prized insects. While the move that Kakashi taught him had certainly been effective, it was time to employ one of his clan's Jutsu's.

Placing his hands together in a seal, he began concentrating. His eyes momentarily glanced to Tayuya, who was locked in a battle with Gurei. However, she had yet to be incapacitated. It seemed as though she was far more proficient in Taijutsu than first thought. No matter. His gaze flickered over to his Kikaichȗ, who while dodging the wild ferocious swings of the doki, were slowly forming into something. Soon they took the form of a black pyramid, buzzing and vibrating with life. With Tayuya distracted, she couldn't move the doki out of the way. With a small smile, Shino uttered, "Aburame Secret Technique: Pyramid of Insects!"

The Pyramid of Insects rushed forward, slamming into the doki and piercing it's stomach. There was a loud pop, and it was gone. They were all eliminated.

Shino didn't have time to rest, and immediately sent his bugs to help Gurei. He went to go too, but was stopped as a voice called out weakly, "H-hey, where do you think your going?"

Shino turned his head, and saw a tanned boy, clutching his stomach, walking forward. His eyes looked glazed, and his lip was bleeding as he bit down on it. "I-I'm coming to fight too."

"No, I do not believe that would be wise. Why, you ask? Because you seemed to have gathered some serious damage to your ribs. Any further intense movements or exercise could result in major damage, or even death."

Raion sneered, "Who asked you!?"

"No one. I suggest you stay-"

Shino froze. His body, it refused to move. All his senses were screwed up. His body was paralysed by something. He noticed that the boy was also frozen, his face contorted in pain.

While he couldn't turn his head, he could hear the sounds of fighting subside from behind him. His Kikaichȗ had moved back over to him, lost without their hive mind to command them. Out of the corner of his eye, Shino saw Tayuya speed off. He grimaced. This was not good.

* * *

Shikamaru's family were said to be masters of shadows. It was the Nara clan's speciality. That, and medicine. But this girl… she did everything perfectly. And with so many techniques!

Kura dodged another wave of sticky gold kunai, returning with her shadows crashing into Kidōmaru's stomach. He was sent flying backwards. This was how the battle had taken place. Kidōmaru would attack, Kura would dodge of deflect, and then counterattack. It was maddening to think that someone was using his clans techniques. If they were his clan's techniques.

"You just going to let a woman do all the work?" Kura remarked drolly, snapping her gaze over to Kidōmaru as he rose. "Allow me to show you what shadows can really do."

Slapping her hands together in a seal, she uttered, "Shroud Style: Incisor!"

Three sets of sharp shadow spikes appeared over Kidōmaru's head, and flew downwards. Letting out a startled and strained gasp, Kidōmaru leapt backwards and dodged them.

"See," Kura said smartly, flipping her hair, "I am the chief shadow user around here, buddy. While your cute keeping them in place tricks are funny, they're nothing compared to what I'm capable of."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "Where did you get those techniques?"

"Somewhere over the rainbow."

"Tch, troublesome woman…"

Kura chuckled, and turned her attention back to a fiery Kidōmaru. "Oh, right. We were playing ninja, weren't we."

The spider nin looked as if he could froth at the mouth, he was so angry. "You…" he trailed off, his eyes burning with rage. "That's it!"

Leaping into the air, a third eye appeared on his forehead. Using the pores on his skin, he created a sturdy longbow, and one arrow. He quickly took aim, and with a furious roar, let the arrow fly.

Kura had turned her back to Kidōmaru, instead examining her nails. As she heard the whoosh in the air, she turned around again. The arrow stuck her straight in the heart, burying itself deep. Blood exploded out of the wound, and she quickly ripped out the arrow. Kidōmaru was laughing maniacally at this point, landing on his feet. "I killed her!" he chanted, "I killed that bitch! Game over!"

Shikamaru stifled a gasp. That went straight into her heart. Oh shit-

However, soon Kura's whole body exploded into a thick misty black. Tendrils flew out of it, speeding towards Kidōmaru and smashing into his body. A deep and loud crack was heard as the tendrils grasped at his arms and legs, crushing them easily. He was sent flying, all the while pressure being placed on his arms, legs and chest. He landed with a large explosion of earth.

Kura teleported over to him, her face a mix of smugness and hilarity. "Cute," she muttered, drilling the bottom of her shoe into his nose, breaking it with a thick crunch. The shadowy mist rose from his body and began to drift up to his neck. Kura smiled evilly.

"Bye-"

Kura instinctively leapt backward as a dozen kunai narrowly missed her. Tayuya raced forward, scooping Kidōmaru up and throwing him over his shoulder. Shooting one last look back in the direction of Kimmimaro, she raced off into the night.

Kura watched them go, her face a mixture of curiosity, annoyance and pleasure. "Go after them!" Shikamaru yelled, having yet to move from the same spot he had stood in for ten minutes.

"Nah," Kura began, walking in the direction that Kimmimaro was in. "Come on then, shadow-baby. Let's go watch the fight."

Shikamaru disliked being ordered around, especially by troublesome women. But, she had just crushed an elite sound ninja, so it was probably best to agree with her. At least for now.

* * *

Fenris and Kataki stood side by side, bloody, battered and bruised. All manner of deep gashes littered Fenris' body, common enough that for every inch of skin, there was a cut. Kataki looked better for wear, but only slightly. A rib poked out of his stomach, and his skin was covered in bruises and cuts.

And Kimmimaro stood, his body still in the same form it had been in ten minutes ago. Completely, and utterly untouched.

Even with their combined strength, Kataki and Fenris had not dealt a single blow to the Sound ninja. While he had utterly destroyed them.

"I… see," Fenris panted, grimacing. "He is far too powerful for us in our weakened state."

Although Kataki didn't voice it, he certainly felt the same. In fact, it was most likely that this Kimmimaro would be able to defeat them even if they were at full strength at the beginning of the fight. They had lost.

"You fought valiantly, but it was wasted. You were no match for me. Come along now."

"No…" Fenris muttered, stumbling in front of his master. "I won't let you take him. You'll have to cut me into tiny pieces before you can even think of getting a chance!"

While Fenris' declaration was bold, Kataki knew that he couldn't back it up. One more attack and he would be down. They would be both down.

"I see," was Kimmimaro's reply. Without waiting, he charged forward. Fenris waited for the impact. It never came. Itachi stood to the side of Fenris, using his kunai to block the bone that would have ended Fenris' life.

Kimmimaro turned his gaze onto the man who had obstructed his actions curiously. The recognition soon came in. "Ah. Itachi Uchiha, I was waiting for you to show up."

Two Sharingan eyes glared back at him, and before he knew it he was sent flying backwards. "_Such speed!_" he thought to himself, using his hands and flipping back to his feet.

Itachi watched him, took him in. "A strong opponent. You both did well-"

He paused his praise, his body stiffening slightly, but then relaxing. "Kakashi Hatake," he greeted.

Kakashi and Neji came into view, both looking injured. Itachi moved his eyes to gaze over the haggard form of Kakashi. And he was met with a Sharingan eye. The two Sharingan locked, studying each other like animals. Finally, they both relaxed.

"Itachi Uchiha," Kakashi greeted.

"Who're you?" Kataki asked bitterly, trying with all his might to stand up straighter, but failing. Neji's gaze was cool as he examined Kataki, and he didn't look impressed with what he saw, his eyebrows furrowing. Kataki glared at him.

"Do not be rude, Kataki," Itachi chided, "And I already said. This is Kakashi Hatake. A former comrade from Konoha."

Kataki's eyes darted from Kakashi to Itachi. Finally, they rested on the Konoha headband on Kakashi's head. "I see… what do you want?"

"We're here to collect the Uchiha," Neji replied coolly, his Byakugan pulsing slightly. Kataki did manage to stand up straighter.

"No you're not!" Fenris let out a snarl, and went to back Kataki up. However, Itachi held out his hand to silence them.

"Stop fighting. Kakashi. Send your charge to go and free my medic from a Genjutsu. Then bring him here and instruct him to heal the very injured if he has any chakra.

"What about him?" Kakashi gestured to Kimmimaro, who stood patiently, waiting for Itachi to engage.

"Leave him to me. He attacked my students. I do not want anyone else getting involve, Hatake. Kataki, Fenris, be polite to our guests."

And so, with that statement, Itachi stepped forward, ready to do battle.

Kakashi watched him go. "_Same old stick-up-his-ass Uchiha. Nothing like Obito."_

Kakashi decided not to interfere in the battle. This man slaughtered his entire clan, so one sound ninja would be simply pickings for him.

His eyes flickered over to Kataki and Fenris, who watched him very warily. However, these students of his could come out as a problem. He was meant to bring back Itachi Uchiha, and that would cause just about enough chaos. But, bringing his 'students' back too? That was suicide. But, Kakashi liked those odds.

* * *

**And there we go! Next chapter, Itachi vs Kimmimaro, the final part of the Sound Five battle. It promises to be epic!**

**Anyway, I wanted to ask you guys to do something for me. Since I'm positive I will reach 100 reviews for next chapter, I thought I would do something I have not seen done before. We're going to do a Q&A. How is this going to work? Simple.**

**You, the reviewers, will either ask questions about myself, or ask the characters. That sounds strange, but bear with me.**

**If you have any questions about myself, my favourite Naruto pairings, how I got into Naruto, Favourite/Hated character ect. Then I will answer them. However, if you wish to ask any of the characters about their backstories, abilities, opinions on certain events, historical, or just general questions, then I will have them answer you in a talk show like format in a mini one-shot. So, I want you guys to ask loads of questions for me. Could you do that? Great!**

**Either leave them in your review, or PM with the details of your questions. Make sure to specify if you want myself, or one of my OC's to answer! All of this will take place next chapter, along with my celebration, my thank you's to you guys, and more amazing challenges for myself and you!**

**Have an awesome morning/afternoon/evening/night, and see you for chapter 20!**


	20. Chapter 20: Q&A Special!

**Chapter 20:**

**Hey everybody! Zerojackson here, welcoming you to a very special chapter in WoC's history, Chapter 20! Not only did we reach a milestone in getting to this high a number of chapters, we reached 100 reviews! As of now, it's actually 103! Which is very awesome! This means the world to me, guys. Seriously, the whole world. To have people who actually go out of their way and spend their time reading stuff that I write is just… amazing. It shocks me that I even got a review, to be honest. The limit I thought I would get would be, after hitting 10, was perhaps 20-25, till people lost interest. And, in truth, plenty of people have lost interest. I've had tons of reviewers who I haven't spoken too in ages, and it saddens me. Their feedback would have been lovely. But, I have you guys, and that's all that matters.**

**This will be the special Q&A chapter, along with me announcing 'prizes' and 'challenges'. First of all, though, I think I should start by giving my thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers individually.**

**To start with, we'll start with someone who has been here the longest.**

**Dosu2Dinner, I've known you for ages. You're a fantastic writer, have fantastic quirks, and are just all around awesome. I know we haven't been able to meet up recently, but I promise I'll try to change that. You're like the brother I never had. Your insight has been valuable in significant degrees, and without your help WoC wouldn't be where it is today. Even though you're not too fond of my OC's, you continue to trudge along and review faithfully. Thank you so very much!**

**Next, we got onto someone who's been on here the second longest. KiyumiArashi.**

**You've been one of my best friends throughout the whole of this year and the year before. We've laughed, been sad, and just all around had good times. You're a fantastic writer, and someone who I am honoured to have known. Your knowledge, and help with WoC was probably the most helpful out of everybody. With your completely unbiased views, you've helped me shape WoC from utter crap into mildly decent poop. So, I thank you so very much.**

**Next up, we move onto a more recently made friend. DownsofFire.**

**You my friend have been amazing. I love talking to you about Naruto and fics in general. I love your insight, your with and just being you. You're an awesome and amazing person, and don't ever change. I hope I've been helpful to you as you've been as helpful to me, because its people like you that motivate me to continue this fic.**

**Next up we move onto another friend, . .x. In all honesty, I've not known you for that long. But I really do enjoy hearing from you, and your insight. Hopefully you'll catch up to this fic soon, and then we can really get cracking! I'm glad your enjoying the fic, and I'm glad that I had the pleasure of meeting you.**

**And now, we move onto Pandabot3000. I haven't spoken to you much recently, as the Christmas period has been busy. But, I'll start again. I'm glad I get to be your beta and friend :).**

**And, finally, we have golden lily anime girl. We've only just met, but I really enjoy talking too you! I hope we can become better friends in the future!**

**And, that's that. Onto the Q&A!**

* * *

For a while, all was quiet. The audience mumbled in their seats, waiting for the show to begin. The lights were off, making it almost impossible to see. The only sounds were the voices of the curious spectators.

And then, the music dropped. A loud clash of trumpets, drums and all manner of other instruments filled the air, and with a thunderous applause out stepped a man. The lights switched on, drowning out the darkness and replacing it with a golden glow.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen!" The man bowed, his mouth creasing into a smile. He was tanned, with a thin scar running along the bridge of his nose. "My name is Iruka, and I'll be your host for this evening's Q&A!"

The crowd once again erupted into applause, which Iruka calmed down with a wave of his hands. He took a seat, one of the only seats on the stage, crossed his legs, and turned to face his audience. "Okay, so, I'll make thing short and sweet. I'll call out each guest out one at a time. I will then ask the questions that the reviewers of "The Winds of Change" want to know the answers to. Sound simple?"

A general murmur of agreement filled the staging area, and Iruka clapped his hands together. "Very well, please welcome our first guest, Kataki!"

Applause filled the room as Kataki walked out, wearing a dark suit and tie. He quickly moved forward and shook hands with Iruka, before they both sat down.

"Good evening Kataki. How was your trip down?"

"It was good. I'm sorry we were a little late. We had to pry Kura off of some of her 'friends'.

A cry rang out from backstage, "You're just jealous!" Kataki rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, shall we get on with the show?" Kataki nodded, and Iruka looked at a card he had in his hand. "Okay, this is your first question: How did you find out about your blood-powers?"

Kataki smiled, standing up. "Raion!" he barked. Said brunette came out, pushing a whiteboard with him. Giving a murmur of greetings, he left the white board on the stage, sneered at Kataki, and left.

The red-headed shinobi grasped a ruler that was left on the whiteboard, and pointed to the picture conveniently drawn there. It was a map of all the nations known to man.

"Now, I come from a village known as the Village Hidden in the Magma," he gestured to a small silver country west of Konoha. "It doesn't look very big, but there's a good reason. It's actually mainly underground. It's a rather secretive village, so secretive in fact that the Five Great Shinobi Nations only managed to establish contact a year or so ago. But I digress. To answer your question, I need to look at the ninja system itself. You see, my clan is one of two clans native to the Village Hidden in the Magma. Every single member born into my clan, the Rimen clan, is tested and trained in the use of their Kekkei Genkai since the first few hours of birth. Any who can't use it are disowned and raised as civilians. Only people belonging to the two major clans can become ninja. Anyone who lacks a clan or who is born without their clan's Kekkei Genkai is forced to accept a civilian life. So, to fully answer your question, I found out about my blood powers around 6-7 hours after my birth."

Iruka nodded, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly at the long speech. "Okay, great! Here is your final question: Does it hurt a lot when you let out your blood?"

At this, Kataki laughed. "Of course it does. Cutting through skin to get to blood always hurts. However, you slowly become numb to the pain. So, for instance, slicing across my wrists, which is my main way of accessing my blood-powers, has become so numb that it feels like a slight sting."

"Wonderful! Thank you for answering the questions. Everyone, give Kataki a hand!"

Iruka rose and began to clap, as did the audience. Bowing slightly, Kataki pushed the white board back behind the scenes, him following close behind.

Iruka smiled, "And now, for our next guest, Gurei!"

Another set of applause filled the air as the grey-haired teen came out, bowing politely and waving into the crowd. After shaking Iruka's hand, they both sat down.

"Hello Gurei. How're you feeling today?"

"I'm great, thanks for asking. And yourself?"

Iruka chucked darkly. "Oh, I'm fine, even though I have yet to be featured in the Winds of Change!"

The audience went quiet, and Gurei stared at the Chuunin with wide eyes. He coughed, before continuing. "Anyway, our first question: Gurei, do you like using colored paint better than black and white?"

Gurei smiled. "Well, it depends. You see, my chakra paintings require a special paint that conducts chakra, however that can only be made into the colors black, white and grey. The color representation also determines what elemental attribute the painting will have, but I'm not skilled enough to use chakra paint with different colors. I'm working on it, though. So, I usually just paint those in my free-time anyway. I also feel, from an artistic perspective, that black and white is better than coloured. It allows the viewer of the painting to make their own discoveries and thought processes to determine what the picture looks like to them, whether it is happy or sad, depressed or cheerful. That's up for their imagination to decide."

Iruka nodded. "That's a very interesting take on it Gurei. Thank you for sharing it with us."

The grey-haired nin smiled as Iruka continued, "And, for your last question: What's your favorite color to paint with?"

"Um, I would say black and white. However, if we're talking about the brighter more common colors, I would have to go with gold. It can mean, happy, loyal, strong and courageous."

"Thank you Gurei! Stay tuned after the commercial break, for special guests Kura and Raion!"

* * *

"And welcome back ladies and gentlemen. Let's start things right off the bat, introducing, Kura!"

The applause all seemed to be male as Kura strode out. And most men were blown backwards with nosebleeds. Kura wore a dress that showed off not only her feminine curves but her sleek exotic legs. With a wink at the crowd, she calmly walked over to Iruka and kissed him passionately. She then pushed him away, watching as he was blown backwards with a nosebleed. Kura chuckled, before taking a seat and waiting for him.

Eventually, with two cotton balls stuffed up his nose, Iruka returned, his face bright pink. "Ahem. Let's get on with the-"

"Wait," Kura pouted, the most subtle glint in her eye, "And you going to ask me how my trip was? It certainly was exciting. So many new places I've never been before," she purred. Iruka swallowed, before continuing.

"Anyway, question number one: Do you have any siblings?"

"Not blood related, no, although I think of Tali as my little sister. However, she refuses to allow me to educate her-"

"Anyway, question two! How did you meet Itachi?"

Kura smirked. "I met him in a brothel. I was undercover for my village, working as a prostitute when he came in on business with Kataki, Raion, and Tali. They were so young and foolish; must have been a few years go now, two or three? Anyway, I was tasked with seducing Itachi and killing him. However, he somehow resisted my feminine charms, which intrigued me. Usually- well, I say men- are like putty in my hands. He refused to be putty. And while I do like me a good bit of putty, he intrigued me far more. So, I decided not to kill him, and I shadowed his group. Along the way he picked up Gurei. I followed him for over three months, thinking he had not spotted me. But he had. After attacking me, he allowed me to join his group."

"After attacking you?" Iruka asked.

"Yes, after attacking me. It didn't last long. I made a comment that this would be a much better battle of wills with sheets and a mattress… and without clothes. I think he knew it was me."

"Okay then! Thanks, bye!"

Without warning, Kura was escorted out by two security officers. A man could be heard shouting, "How dare you sleep with my wife!"

Iruka coughed. "It seems our technical producer has gone AWOL, so we'll be back in a moment.

"Hello, once again! I'm back with my next guest, Raion!"

Said brunette was wearing a dark brown tux. "Good evening, Iruka. And good evening, everybody out there! Kataki stinks!"

Kataki could be heard snorting from backstage, and Raion looked ready to leap from his seat and attack him, but Iruka's quick thinking saved the audience from certain death. "Anyway, first question: What is your favourite food?"

"Hamburgers," was his reply. Silence followed.

"Ham… burgers?" Iruka sounded out the alien word, deciding it didn't sound right. "What's a ham—burger?"

Raion opened his mouth widely, but closed it with a snap. "I don't know…"

"Right…" Iruka trailed off, before asking, "Okay, final question: Do you think about your past a lot?"

"I…" Raion seemed pained by this momentarily, his eyes becoming dark. "I can't remember anything. My first memory is waking up with Tali leaning over me with a kunai to my throat."

"Okay, thank you Raion-"

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on a second. That's it?" Raion stood up, his brown eyes furrowed in aggravation. "That's not fair, Kataki got way more screen time than me!"

"Uh-huh. Security!"

Ibiki walked out from backstage and placed Raion in a full nelson, dragging him backwards. The brown-haired nin was having none of it, screeching obscenities. "THAT'S NOT FAIR! KATAKI HAD WAY MORE SCREEN-TIME THAN ME! LET GO YOU SCARRED BASTARD!"

And so, Raion was dragged backstage kicking and screaming.

Iruka continued without pause, "Our next guess is the only non-OC of the group. Come out Shino!"

Shino paced out calmly, wearing his usual attire, the only difference being a bow-tie tied around his collar.

"Hello Iruka-sensei," Shino greeted, sitting down without a handshake.

"Hello Shino. First question: What colour are your eyes, again?"

"To reveal that," Shino began, moving his hand to the frame of his glasses, "We must remove these."

The audience all stifled a gasp. Nobody had ever seen Shino without his infamous glasses on. This would be the most enjoyable event of the night, by far!

It was almost tantalizing the way Shino's hand grasped the hilt of his glasses, before ripping them off like a plaster on a wound. Underneath his glasses, was… another pair of glasses!

The crowd's murmurs of excitement turned into stunned silence. Even Iruka's jaw had dropped.

"Next question, please."

"R-right Shino, right away. Next question: Why do you hate windows?"

Shino tensed considerably. Killing intent radiated off of him in waves, and he stood. "WINDOWS! THEY ARE THE ENVOYS OF OUR DESTRUCTION, AND MUST BE ELIMINATED!"

"Well-" Iruka meant to interrupt the rant, but was stopped as two window fitters walked onto stage with a large pane of glass.

"Hey," one of the began," where do you want this win-"

"WINDOW!" Shino roared, his kikaichu zooming out of his coat at an alarming rate.

"We'll be back later, GYAH!" Iruka screamed as he was engulfed in a black blizzard of beetles.

* * *

"And welcome back ladies and gentlemen, our next guest is Fenris!"

Fenris came out in his usual attire, his giant sword still strapped to his back. He stomped over and sat down. "Get on with the questions."

Iruka gulped, and nodded. "Okay, uh… How did you get your tattoos, and did they hurt?"

"How did I get them? Did they hurt?" Fenris mocked. "That snake Orochimaru forced them on me, as one of his sick and twisted experiments. And you asked if they hurt!? Imagine the hottest and brightest flames engulfing your body and ravaging your insides. Imagine the coldest chill creeping up your spine and stinging straight into your core. Even then, you will only feel a fraction of the pain I felt. Did it hurt? No. It killed."

And, with those words, Fenris stormed off stage.

"Our next guest," Iruka continued casually, "is Utsuro!"

Utsuro came out wearing her usual attire, although her clothing was stained in thick red blood.

"Uh, hey there, Utsuro," Iruka greeted, "Why're you covered in blood?"

She giggled, "That would be telling, silly!" She reached across and slapped his arm.

Iruka laughed nervously. "Right, only question: Funniest joke you've ever heard?"

"Well, I was walking down an alleyway at night, and this man came out of the shadows, and said, 'Hey, would you like to hear a joke?' I ignored him, but he continued, 'What did the horny man do to the little girl in the dark alley? Break her!'"

Iruka's eyes widened. "What happened!?"

"I broke his neck and disemboweled him before strewing his remains over the rooftops."

There was a long awkward pause. "Utsuro, everybody!" Iruka cheered, looking as though he was about to have a heart attack. "Our final guest is Tali!"

The blonde-haired girl stepped out, smiling brightly, brushing past Utsuro as she left. She wore a flowing blue dress that matched her eyes. As she walked up to give Iruka a pleasant kiss on the cheek, he roughly pushed her down. "Never mind that, questions! Do you like swimming or staying on top of the water?"

Tali smiled, "I like swimming under the water. It's so quiet and peaceful. And there's so much beauty-"

"No one gives a crap," The audience booed as Tali looked down sadly. "Let's get on with it! Final question, thank god! Have you ever kissed anyone?"

Tali's face turned red as a tomato and she looked down. "Well- I… er, well, you see… sorta… I guess… not really… maybe… no," she finally decided.

Iruka gave a cheer, doing a little victory dance. "Thank Kami it's over! I never need to speak to any of you crazies ever again!"

Tali was close to tears now, not being allowed to have her full interview.

The producer of the show came out from backstage, and whispered something in the dancing Chuunin's ear. "What… WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I'VE BEEN BOOKED AS HOST FOR NEXT YEAR'S Q&A!?"

With a cry of utter anguish, Iruka raced from the stage and down through the steps that led through the audience to the fire exit. He didn't get very far, however, as Kura soon appeared in his path.

"Get out of the way you crazy—"

"You didn't let my little sister finish her interview, and you cut her off unfairly." She cracked her knuckles, an angry look obvious in her dark eyes. Iruka realized that Kataki and Raion were standing behind him menacingly. "Big mistake."

Iruka's anguished screams were heard as the lights cut out.

The body was never recovered.

* * *

**Well, that was awesome! I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it!**

**Now, we move onto your prizes and challenges. We'll start with the prizes!**

**Since all of you are such utterly loyal reviewers, and I love you for it, I thought I would pay you back in full. So, I am going to do something for you guys. For each and every one of you, I'll write you a one-shot. It can be about anything, from my OC's to Sakura and Sasuke getting married to Kankuro and the Third Tsuchikage playing tennis! It doesn't matter; I'll do whatever you want.**

**You do have choices, though. You can either have:**

**Three short one-shots/drabbles.**

**Two medium one-shots.**

**One Large one-shot.**

**Take your pick from one of those three and I'll do my best. I would ask that you give me specifications about what you want me to write, though. Makes it easier on myself.**

**Now, onto the challenge. While I could sit here spouting off about how much I love and respect you guys for reviewing (Because I certainly haven't done that…) I've decided to issue a little challenge. It's simple, actually. I would like you, the reviewers, to write me a one-shot. About my OC's. Yes, that is right. I would love for you to show me your perceptions of them, and see how you make them act and think. It would be fantastic! It is optional, but I would be humbly honoured.**

**I could, also, if you wanted me too, post it in a special one-shot section for this challenge. Or, you could post it on your profiles, providing you make sure to say that they are my OC's ect.**

**And, well, that's that!**

**I seriously hope you guys enjoyed this. Thank you for your continued support, without it I would be nothing. Please, if you ever want to suggest anything or discuss anything then please PM me or chat, I love talking to you all. Here's too two-hundred reviews by chapter forty!**

**Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello everybody, and welcome to Chapter Twenty One of the Winds of Change! Hoooooooooooolllllllllllllll lllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Crap! We've had a major influx of reviewer and reviews come in since we hit 100. We're currently up too 137 reviews as I am writing this. That is insane! Thank you all for your continued support, seriously, it means the world :). I made a joke that we might make 200 reviews by next year, hopefully. We're already a quarter of the way over that and it's not even been the first month of 2013! I know a lot of you are looking forward too this chapter, and I hope it lives up to your standards. I can't write fight scenes, never have been able too, and never will. I also much prefer dialogue and character development than fights anyway, which we'll be getting back to next chapter, thank god. I apologize for any grammar mistakes, they will be corrected by my beta soon hopefully. I also wrote this at midnight till 3am, so please keep that in mind. Without further ado, let's get on with Chapter 21 of the Winds of Change!**

* * *

Chapter 21:

* * *

It's interesting how the world can go from a flurry of chaos to an intense silence. It's so quick, and so fast, it's almost unbelievable.  
Kataki knew this feeling well as he watched his sensei walk forward. He stood with a rigid stance, poised and ready. Although, to someone who didn't know him well, it looked as though he was relaxed. It seemed that, with most stoic people, it was the eyes that were the most expressly. Kura had told him on numerous occasions that it was his eyes that gave away everything. He could keep his face impassive, but his eyes always betrayed him.  
And, yes, the Sharingan did make it harder to read Itachi, but they knew. Kataki and Raion knew their sensei was ready for war. And they were ready for the fireworks.

* * *

The silence, while not deafening, was pretty close. Itachi stood opposite the sound ninja known as Kimimaro. They stared at each other, jade green eyes clashing with darkened red. It was a standoff between two powerful foes, both excellent at what they did: Killing. But, what happens if you have two experts clash? You get carnage. And, carnage was not either of their strong suits.  
"Kimimaro, isn't it?" Itachi asked, his gaze carefully observing every inch of the sound nin's body. He nodded, flexing his shoulder.  
"Yes. I am Kimimaro. I would request that you hand over your student, and allow us to go peacefully. I can tell, however, that is not going to happen."  
Itachi let the smallest of smirks grace his face. "You are correct in that assumption. However, I will give you one more option."  
Itachi carefully pulled out a kunai from his pocket, gripping it between his fingers. "You can go now, and that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not find you. I will allow you to run back to Orochimaru with your tail between your legs, and we will never see each other again. Or, you do not leave. If that is the case, I will fight you, I will beat you, and I will kill you."  
Kimimaro smirked. "Your words hold much malice Itachi Uchiha, and anyone lesser than myself would probably cower in fear. I will decline, but offer you the same ultimatum."  
Itachi let out a low growl, raising the kunai in his hand up to his face.  
Kimimaro himself retaliated by getting into a wild stance of his own, ready to clash. He spoke slowly, "If you leave this place, and give me the boy, that will be the end of this encounter. You are strong, Itachi Uchiha. I am, however, stronger. If you leave, then I shall have no reason to pursue you for now. But, if you don't, I will kill you, I will slaughter them," he gestured to the rest of the group," And I will take the boy by force."  
Itachi grimaced, "I see we are not going to come to a diplomatic solution. Very well."  
Without warning and with a speed far quicker than the human eye, Itachi blurred forward. It caught Kimimaro off-guard how fast the Uchiha was. On instinct, he raised his arms, just in time for the bones to clash with the kunai. He was pushed backwards by the force of the attack. He also didn't expect another Itachi to burst from the ground behind him. It executed a flurry of handsigns, calling out, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"  
Just as the eruption of flame cascaded from his mouth, the other Itachi leapt up onto Kimimaro's head, and flipped forward. The flames crashed into Kimimaro's body like a truck, Itachi sailing safely over them. The Itachi who cast the flames leapt back, before being joined by Itachi, who landed next to him.  
As the fire dimmed, Kimimaro grimaced. His skin was slightly charred around his arms. He didn't have enough time to properly prepare his defence. That would not happen again. He raced forward, leaping into the air in preparation for a roundhouse kick. A bone jutted out of his ankle as he came downwards.  
One of the Itachi's bent backwards, ducking the spinning kick. However, the other was impaled as Kimimaro's hand shot forward, penetrating it's heart. It disappeared in a puff of smoke. With a grimace, Itachi twisted his body around, so he was on his hands and knees. Doing a handstand, he kicked both of his feet up. The combined force connected with Kimimaro's chest, and he winced in pain. Itachi then withdrew a kunai from his kunai pouch, and with one hand shoved it upwards, while balancing on the other. It narrowly missed the exposed skin of Kimimaro's torso as he sailed overhead, doing a forward roll. This all took place in a matter of moments.  
Itachi wasted no time getting to his feet, immediately throwing the kunai he held in his hand and withdrawing a couple more. Kimimaro dodged the first kunai, before racing forward and swatting the others away.  
He was on Itachi before the raven haired nin had enough time to react, dealing a vicious knee to the stomach. Itachi, however, barely reacted; there was only a momentary flash of pain in his eyes before he was right back on target. Ducking a swipe from Kimimaro's bone, he went to give a bone-breaking palm strike to his opponent's chest. Bones protruded from that place, capturing the hand of the Uchiha in a cage-like construction. With his hand trapped, he could do little to dodge the bone that came hurtling towards his shoulder. However, this was Itachi Uchiha. In a flawless move, Itachi substituted for a rock behind Kimimaro. Instead of engaging him in Taijutsu again, however, Itachi leapt backwards. He pulled out an explosive kunai and let it fly towards its target. Kimimaro too leapt backwards, avoiding the small explosion that ruptured dirt and earth.

* * *

From the side-lines, Raion couldn't help but watch in awe. "This guy's on the same level as Itachi-sensei!"  
Kataki merely chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah Raion. Your injuries are no excuse for stupidity. Their levels of Taijutsu are the same. Everything else… well, we'll wait and see."  
Kakashi watched, his own Sharingan following the action. "It seems that Itachi has very much improved since we last met. Then again, that was many years ago."  
"Troublesome," Shikamaru said casually as he walked forward, his eyes scanning over the battle. "Is this the guy we've been looking for?"  
Kakashi merely nodded. However, he soon had arms draped over his chest, and a soft voice whispering in his ear, "Hello there. You know, I love a man in uniform."  
The Copy Ninja was at first worried Anko had followed him, and he began to stiffen. However, the sharp stares of Itachi's students made the female let go.  
A rather… exotic beauty now stood beside him, watching the battle with the mildest of interests. "I see you found a handsome masked man." She smirked, "Is he our saviour?" She draped an arm over his shoulder, "I need a big strong masked hero to save me!"  
Kataki and Raion watched her with growing annoyance. Their eyes slanted, their jaws set. Kakashi almost assumed they were- No. Never mind.  
"Kura, get off him," Kataki almost commanded.  
"Yeah, leave the masked guy alone! He could still be the enemy!"  
Kura scoffed, releasing her hold on Kakashi and moving away from him to join her teammates. "You boys ruin all the fun. Has Itachi killed this guy yet?"  
"No. Would you all please be quiet, you're giving me a headache," Fenris groaned slightly. He quickly turned to Kataki and bowed his head apologetically, "Apart from you master, of course."  
Kura and Raion snickered. Kakashi watched on with the smallest amount of amusement, before turning his attention back on the fight. He would do an evaluation on these guys later. He had a battle to watch.  
Shikamaru uttered the last word for a while as he watched Itachi's students. "Troublesome."

* * *

Itachi waited for movement from behind the fog. He had to admit, he could see why this man was a member of the Sound Five. All of the others had been throwaways. Without their curse seal, they were nothing. And even then, he could easily beat them. This one, however… his unique Kekkei Genkai was proving to be a bother. Still, it only seemed to work using Taijutsu, and that's all.  
Taijutsu, however, was not his only move. He had far more to work with.  
His thoughts were cut off as Kimimaro's form was seen in the sky. A series of small pellets made of bone shot out from his hands. They were fast, too fast, and one cut Itachi on the cheek before he could dodge. So, he was going long range as well, eh? Very well, Itachi could play that game.  
Running forward, blurring through handsigns, he muttered, "Earth Style: Earth Dragon Jutsu!"  
Out of the earth, a giant dragon reared its head. With a loud ghastly roar, it began to beat its wings, and took flight. The earthen monstrosity looked around for a few moments, before its eyes zoomed in on its target, Kimimaro. Then it surged forward.  
Kimimaro took it in his stride, leaping backwards as the dragon crashed into the earth. He couldn't breathe for long as the dragon burst from the ground and sped towards him once more. Leaping to the side, Kimimaro tried to figure out a strategy to take down the beast. It took him mere moments, before the beast came hurtling at him once more. Instead of dodging, however, he charged forward. He waited until the dragon was just a few feet away and…  
Having leapt up into the air, the Sound Nin missed the clamp of the dragon's earthen jaws. He swiftly landed on its back, but was not prepared when it took flight once more. While not exactly too far up in the air, the dragon was about the height of the average house. Kimimaro soon righted himself with chakra enhanced feet. Ready to strike at the dragon from above, Kimimaro readied himself to attack.  
What he was not ready for, however, was Itachi running up from the dragon's side, blurring through hand-seals. "Earth Style: Stone Column Spear!"  
A sharp array of stone spikes erupted from the dragon's back, forcing Kimimaro to leap upwards. Itachi followed through, withdrawing three kunai. He leapt upwards, and threw them towards Kimimaro. They managed to reach the sound nin, but instead of thunking into his body, they wrapped themselves around the bones protruding from his back. Kimimaro turned his head just in time to see the thin sheen of ninja wire glistening in the moonlight.  
Itachi smiled ever so slightly, before quickly going through handsigns, "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"  
Three blasts of flame, big enough to incinerate a grown man, engulfed the ninja wire, hurtling towards Kimimaro at a lightning fast pace. The sound nin could only grow his bones outwards to protect himself for two seconds before he was engulfed in flame. The loud boom of the explosion rocketed from the sky, accompanied by thick brown smoke. And Kimimaro fell limply out of the smoke, heading straight towards the ground.  
Itachi watched as his body hit the dirt with a thud. And that was that. Letting out the smallest sigh of relief, Itachi went to turn his back on the body. He shouldn't have.  
The body disappeared in a puff of smoke, instead being replaced by the ninja wire attached to Itachi's kunai. Kimimaro himself appeared behind the Uchiha, his fist cocked. The bone sank straight into Itachi's back, puncturing the heart. Itachi's skin and clothes turned to mud and he spilt apart, sending Kimimaro flying forwards. He managed to right himself just in time to block Itachi's kunai that came hurtling towards him.  
"I am impressed. Perhaps Orochimaru did choose his talent wisely." Itachi's voice was cold and absent, drifting from different directions for every word he spoke. "So talented, in fact, that I presume Orochimaru would choose you as his new vessel?"  
Kimimaro bristled ever so slightly, his bones growing in length. "That is no business of yours."  
"No? It seems that your master has taken a liking to my little brother, and so that makes it my business. I do wonder, however," Itachi appeared in front of the sound nin, his Sharingan spinning, "Why you were not chosen to be his vessel. Was it because you were too… weak?"  
Kimimaro's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before they turned ferocious. He then attacked with animalistic vigour, his strikes wild and unpredictable. Itachi dodged them methodically, each missing by only a hair's breadth. They moved down the dragons back, soon reaching the beginning of its swishing earthen tail. The dragon was still in flight, circling to and fro in a repetitive pattern.  
Itachi dodged another of Kimimaro's blows, ducking and swinging his leg outwards in a forward arc. Kimimaro reacted unexpectedly, blocking the blow and lunging his knee forward. The blow caught Itachi in the chest, forcing the air out of his lungs. Without waiting, Kimimaro followed up with a devastating slash to the chest. Itachi seemed to react quick enough to dodge out of the way of major damage, but a long thin scratch now rested on his chest. Kimimaro was seething. He seemed wound up. Excellent.  
"Hn, perhaps it was your temper that got you disowned? Orochimaru likes characters who think with their head. You seem not to be able too. How weak…"  
Kimimaro bolted forward, hell bent on spearing Itachi through the chest. The former Leaf Nin leant backwards, and Kimimaro sailed over him. Without waiting, he blitzed through some handsigns. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"  
An explosive ball of fire erupted from Itachi's mouth, ready to incinerate the sound nin. He, however, landed on the ground and strafed to the side, narrowly avoiding a fiery death.  
He gritted his teeth. This Uchiha was winding him up, egging him on. Emotions would lead to his death, he needed to stay focused… focus…  
Kimimaro's frowned eyebrows were replaced with neutral ones, and his face retained a cool façade. Itachi watched him with his eagle eyes from atop his earthen steed. So, he retained his neutrality, did he? Fair enough, Itachi didn't mind. The dragon let out a mighty and hearty roar, doing a one-eighty and twisting itself around.  
Kimimaro cracked his neck, before he reached behind it. A bone began pushing its way out of Kimimaro's skin. The sound nin grasped it with his hand, and with an almighty heave pulled out a six foot long javelin of white bone. The dragon was hurtling forwards now, intent on capturing the bone user within its earthen jaws. Kimimaro cocked his hand and threw.  
The spear shot through the air, gliding into the earth dragons head and stopping. With a roar, the dragon reared its injured head one last time before it slowly descended. Itachi cursed, leaping into the air just in time as the dragon joined once again with the earth in a cataclysmic crash.  
The Uchiha landed on the ground, his eyes scanning the area for Kimimaro. He soon found him hurtling downwards from the sky. Reacting quickly, he pulled a kunai from his pouch, one of his last, and put it up in a defensive position. Kimimaro thrust his spear downwards as he approached. It connected with the kunai, breaking it into tiny metal pieces. Itachi moved on instinct, twisting his body so the spear just missed his heart, instead sinking into the earth. Keeping with the momentum, he spun around, grasping his last and final kunai, and tried to stab it into Kimimaro's side. A bone protruded, blocking it. Kimimaro let out a grunt of annoyance, twisting his own body and delivering a bone shattering kick to the face of the Uchiha. A spurt of blood escaped from his lips as he flew backwards, twisting his body as he hit the floor to right himself. He stood upright, a thick trickle of blood trailing down from his nostrils.  
"Hn."  
His voice had a nasally quality, and he grasped his nose between his hand. With a sick crunch, he put it back into position.

Kimimaro watched him carefully. This man was dangerous, and even in his weakened state- A deep throaty cough perpetuated the silence. Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Ah, I see. Orochimaru could not take an ill vessel. That would be very counter-productive."

"Yes, it would. Having no use to my master is deeply un-gratifying. I will, however, be of some use. By killing you."

With those words, Kimimaro rushed forward. The bone in his hand snapped in two, and he wielded them both like two blades. Itachi was ready with his kunai, blocking the blows that rained down upon him. They stood in a sort of stalemate for a few moments, Itachi (barely) being able to block the strikes. However, his luck ran out as a double attack from both swords momentarily knocked his kunai out of the way. With nothing to defend with, Itachi could only watch as the two bone swords sunk into his leg. Letting out a minor grunt of pain, he did not waste any time. The kunai in his hand was gripped harder, and he swung it with all his might. Kimimaro twisted his upper body that the slash didn't land. He didn't expect, however, Itachi to let the blade go flying, instead opting for an array of handsigns, "Water Style: Liquid Bullet!"  
Pulling his mouth backwards, Itachi let fly multiple balls of water. They smashed into Kimimaro's face, sending him flying backwards in an intense cry of pain. The two swords in Itachi's leg were painfully yanked outwards as the sound nin flew backwards, causing the Uchiha to grip his bleeding leg.  
Kimimaro did not move from his position on the ground for a few moments, before eventually rising. A deep purple bruise had formed on the left side of his face, blotting out his usually pale complexion. His left eye was also painfully shut, squished together by swelling purple flesh.  
"I see," was all he said for a few moments, the bloodied bones retracting back into his flesh at his behest. "You are very lucky, Itachi Uchiha. Very few ever live to see one of my Dances, let alone two. You will be one of the few alive to see my second Dance. You've made it this far, and though your Sharingan may be powerful, my Shikotsumyaku is far stronger. You are outclassed Itachi Uchiha. And you will suffer for it."

* * *

"What's Shikotsumyaku?" Raion said slowly, trying to annunciate it correctly.  
Kataki rolled his eyes. "His Kekkei Genkei, idiot. It's obvious. He seems to be able to manipulate the bones in his body, allowing him to use them as weapons at will."  
"Yes. However, normal bones would not be as dense as his are." Kura intoned, watching the battle, although every once in a while stealing flirtatious glances at Kakashi. This forced him to roll his visible eye, but he joined in the conversation nonetheless.  
"Correct. He seems to be able to increase the calcium in his bones, making them far denser. At least, that seems the most logical conclusion."  
"Troublesome. I would agree. It makes this 'Kimimaro' fellow extremely proficient at Taijutsu. I do not even think Gai-sensei would be able to beat him."  
Kakashi chuckled, turning his gaze onto the slouched version of Shikamaru, lying on the ground with his eyes half-closed, and half open, watching the battle. "I would have to disagree Shikamaru. While Gai is very… eccentric, he is the best at what he does. He would give this ninja a run for his money, that's for sure."  
Kura's eyes brightened. "And who is this 'Gai-sensei' you speak of, hm? Another handsome and dashing prince ready to ride to my rescue?"  
Shikamaru snorted, turning his gaze downwards. Neji, for the first time, turned his head slightly and spoke. "Gai-sensei, prince, and dashing should never be in the same sentence. Ever."  
Kura tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I'll keep that in mind…" She trailed off. "We, uh, never got your names?"  
Kakashi coughed into his fist. "Pardon my rudeness, I am Kakashi Hatake. These are my charges, Shikamaru Nara and Neji Hyuga."  
"What're you doing here?" Fenris spoke, his cold eyes examining Kakashi closely.  
"We're here to speak with your sensei diplomatically, and try to come to some terms and agreement."  
"What kind of terms and agreement?"  
"Simply a request."  
Kataki frowned. "What kind of-"  
"Hello."  
Shino stood behind Kataki's seated form, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Who am I, you ask? I am Shino Aburame."  
"I suppose we should give our names, then," Kura said, sighing, "But, afterwards," her eyes turned once again back to that mischievous glint, "I would like to see what's under that coat."  
Shino's face seemed to darken a tad. "I'm Kura, no last name, don't need one." Kura began. She pointed at Raion, "This here is Raion. Don't pay attention to him, he's really not important." Raion spluttered protests while Kataki snickered. Kura ignored him and pointed at Kataki. "This is-"  
"Thank you Kura, I can do my own introductions. I can speak like a normal human, unlike Raion. I'm Kataki Rimen."  
"And I am Fenris."  
All the leaf ninja nodded their greetings. However, someone else walked over to them. "Don't forget about me!" Gurei chuckled, "Hello, I'm Gurei."  
Kakashi froze, and on instinct went to remove his headband and grab a kunai. This boy… he was almost identical too Kabuto! Same hair colour, hair style, somewhat same clothing choices, although more grey than purple, and black too…  
No, it wasn't him. He was too short. And his eyes, while a similar shade to Kabuto's, were far greyer. And filled with more life. Even though it could have been a henge, it wouldn't make sense to transform into a younger version of himself. They looked pretty much identical. He would certainly be keeping an eye on this one.  
"Greetings, I'm Kakashi Hatake…" The Copy Ninja introduced his own team, and 'Nice to meet you all!' was Gurei's response.  
He turned his bespectacled attention back on his own teammates, and frowned. "I think you guys need some medical attention."

Raion scoffed. "So did we, but we actually don't. I thought I'd broken my ribs, but there's no pain anymore!" He chuckled, "It's weird!"

Gurei smirked. "Yeah, it is. I'm going to release the Genjutsu now."  
Kakashi frowned. Wha- The night was soon filled with shrieks of agonized pain as Raion crumpled forwards, clutching his ribs. "Holy ** the pain!"  
Kataki bit his lip hard. Kami, he really needed to stop getting hurt like this. Fenris was not better off, his lip bleeding profusely as he looked down at his bloodied and hole-filled hands.  
Gurei rolled his eyes, before turning to Kura, "You good?"  
She smiled. "Of course. Only a few bruises." Gurei nodded, before crouching down. His hands glowed green as he examined Raion's injured torso.  
"Stop moving," he commanded, and Raion somewhat complained through strained facial expressions and moans of agony. "Hm, just as I thought. Multiple breakages, at least seven ribs."  
He turned his attention too Kakashi, "You wouldn't happen to have any bandages would you?" He asked.  
Kakashi nodded. "Yes, I have some in my pack. Feel free to use them."  
Gurei smiled kindly, "Thank you. Kura, when Kakashi hands you the bandages would you mind digging through my pocket and finding some disinfectant, and then spraying, cleaning and bandaging Fenris' wounds…"  
Kakashi watched as the medical ninja commanded his teammates, slowly but surely healing their wounds. What an interesting team. And also a rather bizarre team at that. But, then again, he was a teacher of the Rookie Twelve. And nobody was as quirky as those twelve. But, from what he'd seen, these four came pretty close.

* * *

Orochimaru had good pawns, Itachi could admit that. The other members of his élite bodyguard, while good, were also rather weak in comparison to this guy. Whether it was pure and raw talent, or much harder and more ferocious training, Itachi knew that now, this guy would be a challenge. He wondered if it would be fair to not hold back any longer. He decided against it, though. Showing one's true power in front of an enemy, and not just the obvious one, would perhaps lead to some problems down the line. Of course, Itachi was rather unimpressed, as he thought about it. They should have found him much sooner. A deserted barn in the middle of a field far from town? Please, child's play. Only a foolish genin would stay in such an easy to reach space. Of course, that also meant other people could easily find them, as shown by the Akatsuki member and these guys. But, they had been eliminated. While not as easily as Itachi would have liked, most did lay dead. The Akatsuki was definitely dead, Itachi saw to that by burning the corpse. And the two other sound ninja were also dead. Nobody could survive the Amaterasu, and the Hyŭga took care of the large one. Regrettably, the other two escaped, but, their mission failed. Or, rather, it would fail soon. As soon as disposal of this man was finished. Although…

An interesting thought entered Itachi's brain. What better way… ah, yes, that would help with the enhancement greatly… He smiled ever so slightly. Yes. That would do.

* * *

Kimimaro was impressed. This man had managed to not only outmanoeuvre and keep up with him every step of the way, but also enrage him. He hadn't been enraged since… ever. This was truly a talent. Shame it was to be wasted. Maybe Lord Orochimaru would like him as his new vessel? While that would be nice, bringing him back alive would be highly unlikely. No, he would kill this man, this Uchiha, and then retreat, punish Tayuya for her insubordination, and then strike once more. And end this pitiful little band. Of course, the newly allied Leaf Ninja would be a problem, but they could be dealt with. However, it was time to deal with the problem at hand first of all.  
Kimimaro's hand slowly reached for his right shoulder. As a long bone began to protrude slowly outwards, Kimimaro's hands also shot outwards. A small array of bone bullets flew from his fingertips at an accelerated pace. Itachi sidestepped them, dodging effortlessly. However, he was more sluggish this time. That wound on his leg must have damaged his movement. Then, this truly was over.

Before Itachi could properly react, Kimimaro grabbed the bone protruding bone and pulled it out with a thick squelch. The bone was long and thin, sharp and pointy. "This is your end," he spoke with cold confidence, "Dance of the Camellia."

The Shikotsumyaku user rushed forward, the bone in his hand ready to be drenched in blood. Itachi leapt backwards as Kimimaro lashed out wildly. After the first stab, they began to get faster and more intense. The Uchiha was forced to dodge and duck and weave out of the way, barely being saved by his Sharingan. His eyes were useless if his body couldn't keep up. The wound on his leg wasn't helping matters either. With a sharp hiss of pain Itachi clutched his arm, a deep hole now pouring with red liquid. Kimimaro didn't stop, going for another deep stab to the chest. Itachi's eyes spun dangerously, however, and he ducked, raising his arms up and moving them in a waving arc. Kimimaro's hands were momentarily shoved to the side, his bone blade now being harmless. With speed that Kimimaro had yet to see from the former Leaf Ninja, he leapt upwards and delivered a bone crunching knee to the jaw. Kimimaro felt the blood flying out of his mouth as he stumbled backwards, swinging his arms somewhat wildly. The bone nin then felt a palm fly outwards and smack him in the chest, causing all the air to leave his lungs. Finally, for what felt like an eternity, Kimimaro felt a hard painful kick to the knee. Crying out in pain he collapsed to one knee, deep bruises appearing on his knee, chest and jaw. Just how hard did this guy hit? He received an answer when, not a few seconds after he dropped to one knee, he was yanked fiercely upward by another knee to the face. Flying upwards, he received not one, not two, but three vicious strikes to the face, before being roundhouse kicked unceremoniously away.

Itachi panted heavily. That drained him slightly, he admitted to himself. Years of not moving at even a quarter of your full speed could sometimes be draining. It seemed as though, as luck would now have it, he would need to move faster. He could do that.

Kimimaro looked far worse for wear as he stood, blood trickling from his nose, and mouth. Deep purple bruises now enveloped his left knee, and it looked painful to stand on. The bone nin let out an agonizingly wheezy cough, clutching his chest.

"Give up. You're in no state to even remotely beat me," Itachi intoned. Blood trickled down his arm, causing the smallest dripping sound onto the grass. His leg wasn't in much better shape, a deep hole adorning his normally pale skin, drenching it with thick red blood.

"You are injured. You are sick. You are outclassed. You cannot beat me."

"Yes… I can." Kimimaro lifted up his head, black beginning to swim around his body. "I will beat you, and I will crush you!"

Itachi grimaced. The curse seal. He had forgotten about that. He seemed to only be going to the first stage of the cursed seal, though. That was good.

Well, at least he thought it was good until Kimimaro's fist was embedded in his stomach. "Such speed!" were the only thought to run through his head as he was sent flying backwards. The black had now turned into thick lines that travelled around Kimimaro's body like a combination of dark circuits. They all began at the curse seal, and travelled all around his body. Bits of skin and flesh had fallen off of the bone nin's body, leaving only bleached white bone in their place.

Itachi righted himself, coughing. So, the curse seal made him that much faster? He could do the same.

However, before he could charge, several bones popped out of all parts of Kimimaro's body. He didn't let that deter him, charging forward. However, he was not prepared from Kimimaro to begin spinning rapidly; his bones making him become a white ghostly blur. Itachi couldn't stop himself from running, but managed to deftly leap upwards to avoid the spinning sound ninja. But Kimimaro followed, leaping upwards still spinning. Sharp ripping and tearing was heard as Kimimaro caused multiple lacerations and deep chasm like gashes to appear on his body. However, to his immediate surprise and annoyance, the Itachi turned into mud.

The real Itachi leapt from the ground, already in a flurry of handsigns. "Fire Style: Blaze Shuriken!"

Quickly selecting a few shuriken from his pouch, Itachi threw them upwards into the air, but not before sending an array of small fireballs to engulf the metal weapons. Kimimaro could only encase himself in bone as the shuriken thudded against him, bursting into a bright explosion of fiery colour. However, no damage was dealt, and both combatants landed harmlessly opposite each other.

Itachi grimaced. So, this new attack of his made suicide to get close to him, huh? Well then, Itachi could play long-range. Of course, Kimimaro wanted the Uchiha to try and take him down in close-quarters combat. Not a chance. But, how to take him down from a distance? It wouldn't take long for the technique to be complete, he just needed to stall. And, just like that, he knew. Such was the genius of the Uchiha Prodigy.

Kimimaro looked as though he was going to charge, but Itachi didn't give him the chance as he rushed through handsigns, "Earth Style: Rampart of Flowing Soil!"

The ground began to rumble, and soon a giant level area of earth rose upwards, Itachi standing atop it. It was giant in stature, bigger than an average house back in Konoha, anyway. Before Kimimaro could marvel at its size, he charged forward. With the curse seal enhancing his speed, Itachi theorized that the sound nin would reach him within thirty seconds or so. Plenty of time.

Itachi waited, his Sharingan eyes piercing straight into Kimimaro as his speed increased. Doing a big leap, he landed on the giant earth wall and began to run up it. Itachi smirked, running through a few handsigns. "Earth Style: Great Mud River!"

Leaping up into the air, Kimimaro only had seconds to leap backwards as the large area of ground turned into a thick river of mud that cascaded forward. Kimimaro was still in the air, watching the spectacle. It was like a giant tsunami, swallowing and destroying anything and everything in its path. He would need to be ready to dart backwards to avoid it as soon as he landed on the gr-

"Earth Style: Mud Wave!"

From the great cascading falls of mud, another giant wave leapt upwards. It crashed into Kimimaro, capturing him in its stick substance. It then fell into the mud wave with a thundering crash. Itachi watched safely from a long distance away. Would that be enough to immoblizie-

A hand shot outwards, black and dark, bones protruding from every angle. Itachi grimaced, flowing through another set of handsigns. He didn't want to kill him, but…

"Earth Style: Antlion Prison!"

A large hole began to appear near Kimimaro. Soon, like a swirling vortex all the mud and earth began to get sucked inwards. Itachi kept his hands into the same handsign, a bead of sweat running down his forehead. This took a lot of chakra…

Kimimaro thrashed around inside the mud, trying desperately to get out and escape. However, it was to no avail as he was sucked deep into the sinkhole. And, with a loud pop, Itachi closed it up.

He panted heavily, falling onto one knee. That took a lot out of him. Much more than intended. This guy was a fighter that much was certain. However, he was slain. Defeated. He had won-

With an almighty burst of earth, Kimimaro's now large form leapt out of the ground, upturning earth and mud. Itachi's eyes managed to scan in his appearance, and he bit back a curse. He had gone to the second stage of the curse seal. Shit, shit, shit!

Kimimaro had drastically changed appearance, and it was similar to that of a dinosaur, with dark grey lifeless skin, six large bone spines protruding out of his back, and a long bone-spiked tail, swishing with malice.

"This will be your end." Kimimaro spoke with a much more calm tone of voice. While deeper than usual, it also possessed far less… life than it previously had. Kimimaro, with lightning fast speed, crossed the gap between himself and Itachi. At approximately ten feet away, he reached behind his back and ripped out his spine. With a sick squelch, flesh being torn away, he wielded it like a whip. Whipping it forward, it wrapped around Itachi's arms, binding him in place with a crushing force. "Dance of the Clematis: Vine."

Itachi struggled briefly against his bonds. He could feel his ribs breaking, crushing. He didn't think he would be this powerful… oh, wait, he did, didn't he. Of course he did. Was this the extent of the sound Nin's capabilities? Impressive, but not impossible.

"Dance of the Clematis: Flower."

As Kimimaro spoke, his arm was enveloped with a thick amount of ivory white bone. It soon turned into the gargantuan shape of a drill. Kimimaro looked menacingly at Itachi. "This fight… has been the hardest of my life. You've blocked me at every turn, but now…" Kimimaro chuckled darkly, "Now I can defeat you-"he was cut off by a throaty and violent cough, this time blood pouring onto the floor. Itachi grimaced. The lower his chakra got, the weaker his immune system got as well. He was slowly killing himself.

"End it!" Kimimaro rushed forward, reeling his boned fist. He knew it would impact, and tear through the missing nin, sending his vital organs flying. He would be dead, with a large gaping hole deep in his chest, and this fight would be all over!

However, Kimimaro was met with a different shaped Sharingan. "Amaterasu Wall."

He spoke the words so calmly and quietly that the sound ninja thought he misheard. He certainly realised he didn't when a wall of black flame, so hot that he could feel his skin burning, was erected in front of him. Retracting his bone hand, with a with a desperate cry Kimimaro plunged his weapon deep into the black flames, hoping to strike.

"You've lost."

Kimimaro loosened his grip on the whip, letting it fall to the ground. Itachi's voice was behind him, clear as crystal. He hazarded a look backwards. Itachi was bleeding profusely from his eye, but still he stood tall. And as calm as ever. Kimimaro let out a cry of pain as the obsidian flames burnt through his weapon and charred his hand. Such intense pain!

"Surrender, and you shall not die."

Kimimaro, collapsing to one knee as the flames licked at his arm, destroying it with viciousness. The smell of burning flesh hit his nostrils, but he didn't care.

"No! I will not be a failure to Lord Orochimaru anymore! Never again! Dance of the Seedling Fern!"

* * *

Kakashi watched in horror as multiple bone shot upwards from the ground, steadily moving in their direction. "Everybody go!" he cried out, leaping away. Shikamaru cursed, leaping upwards with Neji and following Kakashi.

"Come on you guys!" Kura called quickly, helping Raion up. "We've got to get moving!"

The large bone forest was nearing, bleached white and sharp. Kataki leapt upwards, grasping at Fenris' arm and yanking him upwards. "Let's go!"

And they narrowly avoided the Bone Jungle.

* * *

Itachi dodged another bone spear as it shattered against one of the large bone spikes. This was Kimimaro's playground. And he was stuck in it. Even with his Sharingan, the bones stretched as far as the eye could see. It was like they never ended. And this near constant assault for the past five minutes was also wearing thin. He really should have finished this up ages ago; after all, he had appointments to keep.

Kimimaro's fist connected with Itachi's stomach, sending him flying backwards. He managed to stop himself from crashing into anything by grasping hold of two of the large bones. Itachi took a step backwards, panting heavily, both his hands resting on the other two bones behind him. He stood perched atop two more of the shorter ones.

Kimimaro laughed, cruel and shrew. "Itachi Uchiha," he began, "I've never been more infuriated with anyone more than you. I, for the first time in my life, look forward to killing someone!"

He rushed forward, bones protruding from every angle of his body. Gone was the cold and calculated Kimimaro, instead replaced by a blood-thirsty and flesh-hungry monster. Itachi had to admit, he didn't mean too piss him off that much. Ah well.

Itachi didn't react, didn't blink, and didn't even twitch as Kimimaro leapt at him. And then, he stopped.

Kimimaro's eyes widened. He tried to move his body, but found he couldn't. He let out an agonizing roar. What was going on! Why couldn't he move!?

"Ninja Art: Resistance Seal Jutsu!" Itachi intoned, smirking slightly at the enraged face of Kimmimaro. "Would you like me to explain?"

"I will defeat you!"

"I'll take that as a yes. You see, when you knocked me backwards with your punch earlier, quickly placed some rather heavy duty resistance seals on each of these bone spikes. In fact, there is so much weight, that it could reduce a platoon of ninja into slow moving tortoise. And you fell for it."

"I… see." Kimimaro's curse seal began to fade, and blood began pouring down his lips. His eyes were forlorn, and yet still held such coldness. "But, you cannot move. We are both stuck, and any who enter this area will be stuck as well."

"You are correct. I am impressed, I can see why Orochimaru handpicked you as one of his bodyguards. Sadly, this whole fight has been my domain. I could have ended the fight whenever I wished," Itachi's eyes flicked open, his Sharingan spinning, "But I didn't. I stalled you."

"… Why?"

Itachi smiled. "Because, I need to wait for my technique to finish."

Itachi slowly opened his eye, revealing the horrifying sight of Mangekyō Sharingan. "Tsukuyomi."

* * *

**So, tell me, was it epic? I think it's horrible, but you reviewers may say otherwise. It took me ages to write, and it's my first fully one on one fight scene thus far. Anyway, have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night! And see you for chapter 22 of the Winds of Change!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Twenty Second Chapter of the Winds of Change! Well, I've got a few things to talk about beforehand. **

**1. From now on, I think I may start, at the end of each chapter, giving my thoughts about the goings on within said chapter, and addressing any issues or things that I want to justify on my end, as well as answering some unanswered questions for you guys :). I hope this is okay! It is entirely skippable, I only really wish for you to read the first authors note for any updates.**

**2. I do apologize for the formatting of the last chapter. It was a mix up with Word and my Beta, and I will hopefully fix it shortly. This chapter should be fine formatting wise, but tell if it's not and I'll get right on it.**

**3. This chapter contains 'sexual content' and by that I mean talking about sex to a degree. No actual sex happens, but certain characters will describe things somewhat sexually, and I will use sexual language as I pertain it for this chapter. If you think the rating of this fic should be moved up to M Rating, then please say so and I will get right on it.**

**4. HOLY JESUS 150 REVIEWS! I'm sure I made a joke somewhere in the 20th chapter that we would perhaps get to 200 reviews by the end of the year. We're all ready half way there guys! This is incredible, the popularity of this story has sky-rocketed, and I love it! However, because I did not expect this story to gain as many followers and reviews as it has in the past two freaking months (Seriously, you guys are freaking awesome!) I'm moving the next special segment/chapter thing to when we get 250 reviews. I hope that is acceptable. **

**And that's it! Onto Chapter 22 of the Winds of Change!**

* * *

Chapter 22:

* * *

Hinata stared into the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her. Two faces, and yet the same. Lavender eyes usually filled with warmth and embarrassment were now filled with fear. Long straight dark blue hair, silky and strong. A pale complexion, soft and pure. She couldn't believe it - of all the people she had to share with, it had to be Sasuke.

After Hinata had found a room, much argument was afoot in 'team Rescue Sakura.' Nobody could decide who they wanted to bunk with, and much brawling and verbal abuse was heard. Eventually it was decided that they would all place eight pieces of paper, two of which would have a different number on, into a draw. Gai, Lee and Tenten when they returned would bunk together, leaving six possible pairings. The numbers were drawn, and it turned out that Naruto would bunk with Kiba, Kurenai would bunk with Ino, and Hinata would bunk with Sasuke.

The look of indifference Sasuke sent her way still shook her to the core. Most people assumed that Hinata didn't fawn after Sasuke because she was so infatuated with Naruto. That, however, was not the case. He was incredibly handsome, anybody could see that. And while Naruto had firmly wormed his way into her heart (not that he would ever return her feelings), she could see the attractive side of other people. Kiba was very much like Naruto, and very handsome in his own feral way. But, she thought of Kiba more as a big brother. Same with Shino. Of course, he was also very handsome. Shikamaru always struck her as too lazy, and while he did have a lazy charm about him, she wasn't interested in him like that at all.

The reason she didn't like Sasuke was because he scared her - deeply. Her mind crossed into what she called her 'dark place', where she stored all of her deepest and darkest fears. How this place in her mind had been created she had no idea, but she mostly lived and remained there in her misgivings and wallowing in self-loathing.

Sasuke's demeanour shook her to the bone. Ever since he came back to the Academy after that fateful day… she shuddered at the thought. His eyes were always so cold, so alone. So revenge-filled that staring into them for too long resulted in her having a nervous breakdown. Other girls saw it as a cool mysterious façade, and they all wanted to break down his walls and realise that he was a nice guy and get married and have wonderfully beautiful babies. But, Hinata's eyes were sharper than others. Sasuke Uchiha had darkness coiled in his gut, and only one thing on his mind. Pure, cold revenge. And nobody could change that.

And she had seen him improve. He had been improving, being more sociable, and talking to people, albeit with usually on one or two words spoken. But all her instincts continued to tell her that he was dangerous. His eyes reminded her of that Sand Shinobi, Gaara. He was so dark, so cold, so unforgiving… Hinata felt that, given enough time for him to nurture his hatred, he would become like Gaara - merciless and unrelenting.

The knock at the door jolted her from her musings, causing her toothbrush to clatter to the floor with a thud. "Hinata," Sasuke's voice was laced with some semblance of annoyance. "Are you done in there?"

Y-yes," she stuttered, reaching down and fumbling with the toothpaste, "I'll be right out S-Sasuke."

She could have sworn he muttered something from behind the door. She waited for a moment to see if he would go, allow her to go and get into bed without seeing him… without being alone with him for too long. Perhaps she was being irrational; in fact she knew she was. Sasuke was a fellow Leaf Ninja. And, while horrendously scary, a comrade. She knew that, as much as the thought scared her, she would protect him with all her might. And, she hoped he would too.

Gulping, she placed her toothpaste back onto the sink and slowly made her way over towards the door. Okay, this was getting seriously out of hand. A missing nin was not waiting outside her door, Gaara was not waiting outside her door, her father was not waiting outside her door. It was only Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha, self-proclaimed avenger hell-bent on crushing his elder brother and would do any-

Hinata squashed that train of thought. It certainly wasn't helping matters.

Her hand gripped the doorknob like it was the only thing standing between her and certain death. An inanimate guardian to protect her against dangers unknown.

She opened the door quickly, hoping to carefully bolt past Sasuke before he even knew she was there. That was not the case.

"Hinata."

Before she could move even a second her eyes moved up to his. And, it was somewhat of a shock. His eyes, while still being very indifferent, also held a modicum of amusement. "Y-yes Sa-Sasuke…?" She trailed off, her face turning crimson. They stood there for a few moments, Sasuke upright and somewhat imposing, and Hinata shrunk back and scared looking.

"Is everything… alright?"

Hinata's eyes widened as he lifted them up to look at Sasuke. She saw a flicker of some emotion in his eyes, an emotion that looked… warm. Not cold, not dark, not callous, not hating…but warm. This shocked her more than anything. Why was he being warm to her?

"Y-yes, everything i-is alright S-sasuke."

He frowned slightly, but nodded. "I see. I'm going to use the-"

The Uchiha paused, his eyes darting left and right. His body was rigid and relaxed, rigid and relaxed. Stern, and slightly soft, stern, and slightly soft. He opened and closed his mouth twice, before he let out a deep weary sigh. "May I… use the bathroom…" He seemed to cringe almost, "Please?"

Hinata was floored. Never before had she seen Sasuke ask for something. It was always take, or 'I'm going to do this'. Not asking, just doing.

"O-of course," he bowed her head slightly, brushing past him. Sasuke didn't watch her, just nodded to himself.

"T… thank… thanks." He finally said, walking in and shutting the door with a small bang,

Hinata sat down on her bed, and made a handsign, "Kai."

She blinked a few times, expecting to be in the middle of the battle with that Lightning Ninja, and this whole thing had been a Genjutsu. It had not.

Hinata sighed softly. She honestly didn't know what to think anymore. She did know, however, that Sasuke Uchiha seemed to be trying, at least slightly, to be somewhat nicer. And this scared her far more than it should have.

* * *

Sasuke stared at himself in the mirror. Hard. He just couldn't understand it. What was so hard about being… nice? Even thinking the word seemed to have an adverse effect on him, seizing up his muscles and bones. He used to be nice, right? Before…

Sasuke closed his eyes and exhaled a breath. He needed to be more…gentle. Kinder, especially to Hinata. Most definitely to her. Getting her to trust him would be vital if he was ever to get those two together. The idiot…

Right, yeah, he could do this! It's simple, go out of the bathroom, make some small-talk, discuss the mission… uh, and other things, right? There had to be other things they could discuss. Hyȗgas? No, that wouldn't make sense; she wouldn't reveal stuff like that to him. This being nice thing was hard!

He examined his somewhat perfect reflection. He had to admit, for a guy, he looked pretty handsome. Creamy skin, dark obsidian eyes, black hair… what would he call his hairstyle. He knew it looked nothing like a duck!

Grumbling to himself, he made his way over to the bathroom door and back into the room.

Hinata was sat on her bed, clutching her legs to her chest. She was staring absent-mindedly at the wooden wall, her pale eyes wide and awake.

"Hello." Sasuke greeted, trying to be casual. Hinata's eyes darted towards him, and stared. It took him a few moments to realise why. He was wearing boxer shorts. Nothing more.

He looked down at them, and back up at her. Her face was a shade of vibrant tomato coloured goodness. Well, it wasn't good for her. "Sasuke, c-could y-you p-lease-"

"Yes." He stated, "I'll… make myself more decent. I'm…. sorry."

He turned, and walked back into the bathroom.

Hinata was hyperventilating. Sasuke was still trying to be nice! It was scary! When normally scary people are nice, they want something, right? Generally that's how it worked. So, what did he want from her?

Sasuke came back out wearing a black shirt, and Hinata watched as he tried to move his mouth muscles upwards from the common frown that adorned his face. She was rewarded with a half-smile. She gulped.

The Uchiha calmly got onto his bed, and just sat there. They both did. They sat still for ten full minutes of utter silence. Finally, Sasuke coughed into his fist, "So…"

Hinata's gaze hesitantly travelled to meet his. He continued, "Um, how… did you… like dinner?"

"Y-yes," she replied, tapping her fingers together, "I-it was n-nice and simple."

Sasuke nodded slowly. How did you continue a topic of conversation with someone!?

"Do you normally eat simple food?"

Hinata shook her head, the smallest and shyest of smiles playing on her lips. "N-no. W-we usually e-eat very complicated d-dinners."

"Like what?"

Hinata, while still utterly confused and very terrified at why Sasuke was being nice, decided it would be best to try and keep up conversation. At least for now. "W-well, we u-usually eat m-meat of some kind. B-beef, and l-lamb, w-with rice. I know that doesn't s-sound like much, b-but the starters and o-other food we e-eat makes up for it."

Okay, that conversation didn't lead anywhere, at all. Sasuke gritted his teeth in irritation. Maybe he should stop trying to be nice and go to sleep. Was this really helping him? Why should he even try and help the Dobe and this shy high-pitched squeaker get together?

"Because they're your friends…" A small voice in the back of his head (which oddly sounded like himself in his younger years) told him. His eyes darkened. Did he need friends? I mean, really? He was an avenger, an Uchiha, someone who didn't let anything stand in his way. But, were friendships blocking his path…?

He almost didn't hear her when she voiced, "D-do you eat s-simple meals?"

Sasuke took pause for a moment. Did he eat simple meals? "What like what we ate tonight?"

Hinata somewhat frowned. Did he only eat rice? Simple meals like that? Really? Just eating rice was not part of a balanced healthy diet in the slightest. She could imagine the fit that his-

Her heart stung briefly as she recalled he didn't have a mother. No one to cook or take care of him. She felt bad about being scared of him. And, while he would always remain intimidating; at least he was trying to be nice. At least, she thought he was…

"Um… Yes, generally."

"Oh." Hinata's sad tone caught him somewhat off-guard. What had he done to upset her!? This being friendly thing was a disaster! He was Sasuke Uchiha, an elite shinobi! He could easily talk to people… had he ever really talked to people, though? He couldn't remember the last time he actually spoke more than a few sentences to someone. The last time he remembered doing something with such exuberance was when he was telling Itachi about his day at school-

And there it was. The thing that kept his heart cold and dark. Pure, ripe, icy hatred that coiled in his gut and slowly was crawling up his spine and towards his heart. He could feel it. It seemed the curse seal on his neck knew this, and it pulsed. The Uchiha bit his lip, moving his hand to his shoulder.

"A-are you o-okay?" Hinata asked. He spared her a glance, hoping to be… reassuring? When had he ever been reassuring!?

"Yeah, fine, just fine…" he trailed off as the pain subsided slowly. Letting out a deep breath, he turned and met Hinata's gaze. Her head snapped down and she blushed. Sasuke knew this was some sort of sick twisted joke. Putting the two most socially awkward teens in a room together, it was like one of those stupid romantic adventure films that Sakura liked. His face switched briefly from impassiveness to the smallest curve of his lips. He remembered sitting down in the theatre, and watching as Naruto and Sakura argued. Were they his friends?

Naruto would swear they were, even though they butted heads. And Sakura… he didn't know about her. But, she was his teammate, and he would save her.

"What if Itachi's got her?" The thought chilled the Raven to the core. If Itachi had her… what would happen? Would he be able to save her? Would he be strong enough too-

"A-are you s-sure?"

Sasuke's jaw clenched and he went to yell out viciously at the young Hyūga. Then he looked at her. And he couldn't. As much as the vicious cold side of him wanted to lash out, to hurt her, to make her go away and leave him alone and never speak to him again… he couldn't. He shouldn't. He wouldn't.

Perhaps this was part of Itachi's plan, to make him weak without any support… but what if people got in the way and screwed up his plans for revenge! Ah, so confusing!

"I like Zenzai."

Sasuke turned to her. "You do?"

She nodded sheepishly. "Yes, and cinnamon rolls."

It was obvious what she was trying to do. Distract him from whatever was troubling him.

"I like tomatoes."

Hinata's mouth lifted into a small smile. "M-my family grows t-tomatoes."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Really?"

Hinata blushed at his sudden interest, and twiddled her thumbs. "Y-yes. I-t's part of the 'Clan R-resource Pact'.

Sasuke frowned. He hadn't heard of this 'Clan Resource Pact'.

"What's that? It's never been mentioned to me."

Hinata still didn't meet his gaze, obviously uncomfortable at being questioned so intently. Although, she certainly didn't mind talking to Sasuke. He wasn't that scary, just somewhat intimidating…

"T-the 'Clan Resource P-pact' is a p-pact made by the c-clans in Konoha. E-each one supplies d-different resources to Konoha. F-for example, the Aburame Clan g-give honey, the Inuzuka give 'game' s-such as rabbit and b-boar, and the N-Nara clan give different herbs and n-nuts."

"Oh."

"Y-yeah. M-my family i-is in a partnership w-with the Ya-Yamanaka clan. We h-help provide t-them with flowers. A-and we grow tomatoes and o-other things."

Sasuke nodded. He would keep this conversation going if it killed him.

And so, two of the most socially awkward people in all of Konoha chatted for a while. Sure, it was strained, and disjointed, and awkward. But, it was progress. And as the two went to bed for the night, they both had different thoughts.

Sasuke was still not sure what his opinion on having friends was yet. As he turned off the lamp light, he realised that he probably would never be truly comfortable with anybody socially ever. But, even if it didn't work out, he would try. He owed that to his mother. And, for now, they would remain-

And Hinata went to bed very shy, but also happy. She now realised that, while darkness still loomed over Sasuke's heart, and she would never be truly comfortable with him around, due to his own mannerisms, he was at least trying to be friendly. But still, deep down, she was deeply frightened of what Sasuke could become at any moment. However, for now at least, they would remain-

_"Friends…" _

* * *

Kiba really, really disliked fate. He had been hoping, in some way, that Akamaru would count as his roommate. No such luck. And this was very, very bad. Horrible even.

The Heat is magnified as night draws. And by magnified, he meant blown to gigantic proportions. He got so horny, that during his first night with The Heat, he had almost-

He felt Akamaru shudder at the sheer-thought of it, thinking the same thing. That would be an awkward tale to tell the grandkids. If he had grandkids, of course…

Kiba took in a deep breath, adjusting himself on his bed, Akamaru lying across his lap. He wasn't sure if that was helping or not. He could hear the tone-deaf singing of his roommate, Naruto Uzumaki, through the thin wooden walls that separated the bedroom and the bathroom. He was grateful that Hinata had managed to get them some nice rooms, rather than some rundown shitty pit. He chortled slightly as he recalled Team 8's very first mission. Stuck in a dank, dirty, and worst of all small room. Forced to sleep on the cold floor, shoulder to shoulder, back to back, just to stay warm. And the best part was his body was pressed firmly to Kurenai-sensei's-

His thoughts froze in place. No, no, no. He would not travel down that road, he would not! Stupid Heat!

Akamaru let out a low whine as he licked his master's hand for comfort. Kiba scratched the little dog behind the ears. He was reminded of Hinata when he did this. Hinata adored Akamaru, always bringing him some form of treats to eat. She would be a treat to eat-

Kiba almost threw his head backwards and screamed. Almost. He managed to restrain himself long enough to bite his lip. Ino sometimes bit her lip, and it was incredibly sexy-

Kiba facepalmed. Someone, somewhere hated his guts, he was sure of it.

Naruto's voice reached a higher octave, causing the Inuzuka clan member to flinch. Kami, that boy could not sing to save his life. He could make people sing-

He groaned, long and hard. The tightness of his pants wasn't helping anything. Shoving Akamaru off his lap, earning a little hmph from the dog, he stood up. Deciding it would be best to open the window and let it some cool air, he calmly walked over and opened the window. A fresh cool blast of air greeted him, and he sighed in contentment. Part of him wanted to strip off his shirt and just stand topless, feeling the breeze against his skin. He decided against it, however, as if one article of clothing came off, he may end up ripping off a few more… and maybe not from his own body…

The air certainly wasn't hindering his little problem, in fact it seemed to be helping it. The fresh pure air reminded him of Shino. That smart-ass genius bug dude who everybody used to avoid during the Academy. He gulped. And he also turned out to be a really sexy beast under that trench-coat of his. Defined jawline, thin soft looking lips, and a surprisingly chiselled physique. When he had seen it a few months ago it hadn't bothered him. But now, it wasn't so much that it bothered him, rather that it… excited him.

But, this was just The Heat, playing with his mind. There was no way he was gay. He was Kiba Inuzuka, wolfish stud. He didn't want to screw boys, he wanted to screw girls! This was just his body's way of working through all those other shitty hormones and using them up, so that only the true hormones remained. He wasn't sure if it worked like that, though…

"La la la!" Naruto swung open the door, his sunny blonde hair shining with water. "Hey Kiba!" he greeted.

Kiba's jaw may have dropped slightly. Naruto had such bronze skin, shiny and toned. His muscles were lean, and yet not that well-developed, and yet enough so that they left a decent impression on the young nin's mind. Or, rather, his dick.

Naruto's blue eyes flickered over to Kiba curiously. "Uh… you okay?"

Kiba's face turned slightly red, and he quickly yelled out in his defence, "Yeah, fine!"

Naruto smiled brightly, "Okay!"

He then dropped the towel from around his waist.

Kiba thanked everything that Naruto's bare buttocks were obscured by the bed, or so help him… He really, really needed to get to the bathroom and take care of business. It seemed that fate wouldn't let him, as Naruto began to talk as he threw on an orange shirt, "So, you excited about tomorrow?"

Ah, yes. Kiba's sexual problem had made him almost entirely forget about what was happening tomorrow. They would go and explore the town, hunting for clues about Sakura's whereabouts. That would finally get the ball-rolling, and he would see some action. Momentarily forgetting the heated organ in his pants, Kiba let out a wolfish grin, "Hehe, of course! We may finally be able to kick some ass!"

Naruto grinned as well. "Hell yeah! And then we'll get Sakura back…" he trailed off sadly. Kiba frowned. They were both idiots, through and through. Talking about how they were going to enjoy kicking some ass when a comrade was in danger. The Inuzuka didn't really talk to Sakura much. She was certainly pretty, but they just never communicated, in or out of the academy. Still, she was a comrade. And ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village never abandoned a comrade, not ever.

Naruto leapt onto his bed, wearing nothing but a pair of white boxers. Kiba gulped. "Man, it's not fair," Naruto whined, "I'm stuck in a room with a dog-breath like you, when I could be…"

Kiba's eyebrow shot up. "Could be…?"

The Uzumaki mumbled something and rolled over, revealing his buttocks to the hormonal dog nin. This didn't help the raging erection in his pants one bit. Letting out a throaty growl, Kiba sat down on his bed and crossed his legs. "No, could be what?"

Naruto grumbled something again, before turning around. "Kiba, you're a dude, right?"

Kiba blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto's face contorted into a foxy grin.

"Hehe, nothing. Can I ask you something?" Kiba could see the slight hesitation in Naruto's cerulean eyes. They were rather attractive, actually. But, there was nothing that Kiba found interesting in Naruto for boyfriend material. Even though he was rather hot- wait, BOYFRIEND MATERIAL!?

"Sure, I 'pose," he said, keen to take his mind off of certain topics.

Naruto paused for a moment, his hands gripping against the duvet, "Do… how do you know… when you like someone?"

"Well, your penis generally begins to grow and-"

"Kiba!" Naruto yelled, pink tinging his teach, "Stop being the Pervy-Sage!"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Uh, I dunno, I guess you like being around them, and talking to them, and things."

"But, what if they're allergic to you?"

"… Allergic to you?" Kiba questioned, biting his lip. Thinking about penises was not helping his own grow weaker…

"Yeah! I mean, I know this girl who's always red in the face and always faints around me!"

The Inuzuka took a moment to think, before laughing loudly. Naruto grimaced, "What's so funny!?"

"Oh, silly, silly Naruto. There's no way you can be allergic to someone. Maybe that means she likes you."

Now Naruto looked utterly baffled, sitting up. "What!? That doesn't make any sense Kiba! I shouldn't have asked a mutt like you for advice!"

Kiba scowled. "Screw you dead-last!" He growled. Naruto let out an annoyed growl of his own, before standing up.

"I need to piss." He announced. However, the boxers Naruto was wearing had slipped down slightly, revealing the beginnings of his ass-crack…

Kiba's member shot upwards, and his instincts took over. Without thinking, he flung himself towards the blonde, pinning him to the wall with a loud thud. Flipping him around so he could face him, Kiba examined the confused and tanned complexion. Hungry, wild brown eyes met curious and baffled cerulean ones. Kiba pushed himself closer to the blonde, his mouth getting ever closer. He longed to taste him, to touch him. A look crossed over Naruto's face, as if in recognition. Kiba couldn't help the wolfish smile that played over his lips.

And it was soon wiped away by a fist to the face. Kiba stumbled backwards, landing on his butt with a thud. He looked up and saw the heated eyes of Naruto. "You wanna fight mutt, huh!? Well, bring it on! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'll kick your ass!"

All the lust seemed to have been knocked out by Naruto's fist, and all Kiba could feel was adrenaline coursing through his veins. He wordlessly leapt upwards, and let out a titanic roar before charging, all sexual frustration forgotten.

Akamaru raised his head slightly, and did the dog equivalent of sighing, before he went back to sleep.

* * *

Ino ran a hand through her platinum blonde hair, scanning her bare face in the mirror. Blue eyes stared back at her, and she gave a nervous smile.

She had always worn make-up, even when on missions. Most kunoichi didn't, and for good reason, but she did. She wanted to look the prettiest. Looking at her bare face now, though, she didn't feel like it…

Her thoughts trailed to the lazy drawl of her teammate, his spiky pineapple hair. She sighed. Snapping shut the small pocket mirror; she tried to force her mind to wander from the topic of boys and onto the topic of training. She had made minor progress with her training. She was now able to keep a small object in the air for about ten seconds. A large object, like a kunai or shuriken, she could keep up for seven. It was a result, considering she could barely hold a small object up for six seconds before she started this mission. But it wasn't useful yet.

The Yamanaka had also tried using her mind to deflect or catch a kunai mid-flight. She had a nasty cut on her leg to thank for that.

However, she had discovered she could do something peculiar. She could hold multiple objects such as kunai and shuriken up at the same time, for over five seconds. She could even stop a few speeding shuriken mid-flight for three seconds. And yet she couldn't seem to focus on one particular object.

It was like she had advanced in training, but taken two steps backwards, it was bizarre. She would talk to her father when she got back-

The creak of a door jolted her to attention, and she turned her head. She almost gaped.

Kurenai-sensei was an utterly stunning woman, her long wavy black hair slick with water. A towel hugged at her voluptuous figure. Ino envied her. Even without make-up she was stunning. Unlike herself…

"The shower is free if you want to use it, Ino," Kurenai said gently, her wine-red eyes shining with warmth. Ino gave her a small smile back.

"No thank you Kurenai-sensei, not tonight."

Kurenai cocked a brow, but said nothing. Tales from Asuma had taught her that Ino was very obsessed with her beauty. To not want to have a shower was mildly disturbing.

"Okay," she smiled brightly, facing away from Ino and sitting down on her bed. "You know, we've never really talked much, have we?"

Ino shook her head, but soon realised that Kurenai's back was turned, so she answered, "No, we haven't." A mischievous look entered the blonde's eyes, and she smiled devilishly, "After all, you're always so busy with Asuma-sensei…"

Kurenai thanked Kami that Ino could not see the light dusting of pink on her cheeks. "You buy into those rumours?" She asked, letting her towel fall to the floor as she picked up a black bra.

"They aren't rumours Kurenai-sensei," Ino teased lightly, crossing her legs, "Unless the other rumours about you and Kakashi-sensei are true."

Kurenai chuckled. "Kakashi? As if."

"I'm sure he looks cute under his mask…"

Kurenai threw on a night-shirt and finally faced Ino. "I would know, actually."

Ino gaped. "You've seen Kakashi-sensei's real face!?" Kurenai refrained herself from giggling at the utter surprise on the young teens face.

"Yes. And yes, before you ask, he is very cute. And," she cut off Ino was she was about to speak, "No, he does not have giant lips, boils on his face or large buck-teeth."

The blonde closed her mouth, pouting. "My sources were off…"

Kurenai shook her head. Young people could be so weird, sometimes. Deciding to change the subject before Kakashi began sneezing his head off, Kurenai smiled. "Is your father well? It's been a while since I've seen him."

"You know my father?"

"Yes, very much so. In fact, he was my sensei."

"Really!?"

Kurenai smiled fondly. "Yes, he was. He wasn't for very long, a couple of months or so, before I became a Chunnin. He was a good man, and helped me a lot with Genjutsu practices. In fact, I'm one of the few people to know how your clan's techniques work."

Ino was gaping at this point. Not only was this woman amazingly beautiful, but she knew some of her clans secrets!?

"How?"

Kurenai turned to Ino, her crimson eyes turning soft. "You have nothing to fear, I did not steal everything. Your loyalty to your clan is nice. Your father helped me learn to counteract your mind-control techniques. While I cannot use them, I have enough knowledge to be able to instruct someone on the use of the Yamanaka techniques."

Ino's eyes lit up. "I have two questions. One, why did daddy teach you that? And two, can you help me with a technique I've been working on?"

"I was sent undercover to locate and help eliminate a missing nin, who was a member of your clan. He was quite proficient with his mind techniques, and I was the only one in my squad with the natural affinity for Genjutsu needed to be able to combat it. And yes, I would love to help!"

Ino was beginning to admire this woman even more. She was a little sad that she wasn't her Jōnin sensei instead, as great as Asuma-sensei was.

"Okay, well, it's best if I show you the technique."

Concentrating, Ino lifted up a small pebble that lay on the floor, lifting it high into the air. It was suspended for ten seconds, before dropping to the floor.

"Ah, that technique. I'm afraid I don't know much about it Ino, I'm sorry. I believe it was only taught to the heirs of the clan. What little knowledge I have, however, should be somewhat useful. How do you visualize your chakra when you lift up objects?"

Ino paused for a moment, before answering, "I visualise it sort of like a cloud, lifting something up, or a solid wall, for blocking something."

Kurenai shook her head. "That's your problem then. You need to visualise your chakra encasing the object, not lifting it up. When it encases it you have full control. It's like lifting up something heavy. If you do it from the ground up, then the weight of gravity is against you. If, however, you lift something up by its sides, with multiple people helping you, then gravity is somewhat nullified. Not the best analogy, but it's good enough. So, from now on, encase the object completely with chakra."

Ino sighed. That made far more sense than she cared to admit. Kami, no wonder Shikamaru thought she was weak…

"There is also something weird happening. I can only lift small objects up in the air for about ten seconds, and kunai and shuriken for six. However, if I do it on multiple objects, I can hold them up for much longer. Do you know why that is?"

Kurenai hummed in thought, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hm, I think that has something to do with the density of the chakra. The reason you, most likely, can hold multiple objects up for longer periods of time is because you spread out your chakra, whether unintentional or not. With single objects your only focusing on one thing, which naturally would add more chakra too holding it upwards, and consuming more energy. However, if you continue to train in chakra control, and encase the objects, your training should move along much faster."

Ino's eyes shone with adoration. "Wow, thanks Kurenai-sensei, you're awesome!"

Kurenai chuckled. "No Ino, I'm really not. I'm merely a woman, just like yourself. I could be completely wrong about this training method, however, so take everything I say lightly, alright?"

Ino nodded happily. Yes! Now, her training was finished, and she could focus on other things, like-

Oh. Her broad smile decreased into a smaller smile, and her eyes became sadder. Shikamaru entered her thoughts, that lazy ass.

Kurenai noticed her lapse in mood from excited to terribly sad. She frowned. "Boy trouble."

Ino's eyes flitted upwards, and her frown deepened. "What?"

"Boy trouble. You're having boy trouble. I can tell, you've got the 'boy trouble frown'."

Ino muttered something, and crossed her arms across her chest. "It's not fair, he's such an ass!"

"Shikamaru," Kurenai sighed. Ino's frown deepened.

"Let me guess," The dark-haired Jōnin began, "He's a lazy ass who never does anything, and has little to no motivation. And yet, he complains about your fighting skills, or the way you act, or something, right?"

Ino nodded cautiously. Surprising the blonde, Kurenai broke into a smile. "That's rather cute, actually."

Ino's eyebrow twitched. "Cute?"

"It means he cares for you," Kurenai quickly cut in, seeing the annoyance building in Ino's eyes, "He's just trying to protect you."

"I don't need protecting!"

"I know that, but they're men. Men always need to be macho and to protect something. It's in their blood and genes. And, he's a Nara. A Nara male is one of the most troublesome, pun intended, things on this earth."

Ino giggled slightly, her mood lifted. "I suppose…"

"I saw the kiss, you know?"

The Yamanaka heir's cheeks were dusted with pink, and Kurenai smirked. "I bet you enjoyed the kiss, even if it was only on the cheek. Imagine it on the lips-"

"Sensei!" Ino squealed, covering her ears. Kurenai laughed. Now the tables were turned!

However, Ino was quicker than that, and quickly came up with a retort, "And I bet you enjoy it when Asuma-sensei thrusts-"

"Anyway!" Kurenai coughed loudly, "As I was saying, I saw that you kissed him. Now, I think that we both know that you like Shikamaru. And, I think he likes you too."

Ino fumbled around with her hair for a little while. "I guess I do like him, yeah. We're going to have a talk after the mission and sort everything out. It's just, he sees me as weak, and… I don't know."

Kurenai nodded, taking Ino's hand in hers. "Ino, you're a beautiful woman and a talented kunoichi. Shikamaru, while he does see it, his blinded by his overprotectiveness of you. It's one of the sweetest things I've seen, even if he comes off as an asshole. The point is that he cares deeply for you, but just has a funny way of showing it."

Ino nodded, her mood brightening slightly. "He does."

"However, while he is being an ass, try not to criticise him too much. You both need to learn to look at things from each other's perspectives," Kurenai said sagely. "After you've accomplished that, you've got a… well, a healthy relationship."

The two girls talked for quite some time after that, going from topic to topic. Ino was still not sure about Shikamaru, whether she could get past his overprotectiveness, or if they could ever make a relationship work. But, she would think about it. Seriously think about it. Deep down inside of her, Ino knew this wasn't some sort of school-girl crush. She knew what it was. And that scared her.

* * *

Tenten didn't like sleeping on a hammock. They were the most uncomfortable things in history, she was sure of it. No matter how hard she tried to make herself relatively comfortable, it always ended up going awry. And that just added to her already sour mood.

Her room was small, very small. Her hammock covered about half the rooms length. And it smelled of alcohol. Tenten hated alcohol. It just didn't sit right with her, drinking until she was off her rocker. She had seen what it had done to Lee, and it had taken two hours to restrain him. And there were twenty different shinobi involved.

Thoughts of Lee's broken form scrambled into her mind, and she just didn't have the strength to fight them.

The woman known as Shizune, who had introduced herself as the Hokage's Apprentice, had taken them to a house they had been renting. Or, rather, the clinic. The clinics in the town, apparently, cost extortionate fees to even get someone checked out. So, Shizune had set up a free clinic of her own. Thank god for that. If they didn't have the medical equipment, who knew what would have happened to Lee…

She tossed once more, almost falling out of her hammock. Letting out a frustrated groan, Tenten buried her head in her hands. Why why why!?

It was all Neji's fault! If he had stopped being such a dick-headed self-centred cold douchebag then Lee would be fine! He wouldn't be as injured.

She sighed, stopping herself. Shizune had already stated that it wasn't Neji's fault. While the strike did injure his leg, Lee was getting progressively worse as the trip went on. There was nothing they could have done. Tenten pictured his sleeping face, serene. But, when he woke up, his pain would be intense. Because of his damaged chakra coils, Lee's chakra was blocking the pain relief medication from entering his blood-stream. The only thing Shizune could do was put him to sleep with some drugs, and whenever he woke up knock him out again. The pain he must have been going through…

Tenten's hands balled into fists at her side. Where was Tsunade-sama during this!? The legendary member of the Sannin was nowhere to be found. Or, rather, she hadn't been, until only a few hours ago…

* * *

_The room was only lit dimly, but even Tenten could see the anguish on her sensei's face. Gai wanted to reach out - his hand was slightly outstretched, but he always pulled back. Sat on a lone wooden chair, his eyes never left Lee's weak form. She pondered briefly moving from her position leaning against the wall, but decided against it. Getting close to Lee as he was… she didn't know if she could handle it._

_His sensei was broken, and there was nothing she could do about it. Lee was sprawled on the table, his body rhythmically moving up and down with soft, steady breaths. This was the closest thing they had to an operating room, just in case Lee took a major turn for the worse. An old beaten down machine, which Tenten assumed was a heart monitor of some kind, lay in the corner. Old desks, chairs and filing cabinets littered the back wall, covered in dust. The room obviously hadn't been sterilized, but Shizune had assured her that she had at least sterilized the air around Lee with chakra._

_Coughing lightly into her fist, the brunette began to wonder where Tsunade-sama was. I mean, she was out getting medical supplies, right? So, she should have been back by now? Surely! So, what was taking her so long? Were Lee's injuries that severe that-_

_Raised voices travelled through the thin walls, reaching Tenten's ears. Somebody was arguing? Gai noticed his too, standing up from his seated position and cracking his neck. His gaze turned to the brunette weapons mistress, and although he tried to smile, it didn't reach his eyes. "Tenten, keep an eye on Lee."_

_Tenten blinked. Gai's voice was soft and cool. It was the first she had heard him like this since… ever. Was this how he was when he was trying to be quiet? Or was it because he was broken?_

_Gai slipped out of the room, travelling towards the raised voices. Tenten tried her best to block them out, to focus on Lee. But she couldn't._

_"-Sama, my student is in there… please, could you just…"_

_Tenten could only make out some of the words, but she knew from the first one that Tsunade was home. She breathed a sigh of relief. She would be able to fix Lee! While this Shizune woman was good, she was no Tsunade-sama. Not at all. Although, she wondered why there were raised voices…_

_"-Please Lady Tsunade, just-" a sigh of exasperation was heard, "Just go lay down and sleep it off-"_

_Sleep what off? Tenten's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and rose from her leant position on the wall._

_Casting one long look back at Lee, who still remained peaceful, she slipped out as quietly as she could._

_The voices grew as she travelled up the stairs leading from the basement, entering into a narrow hallway. She could see out the window that the sun was setting, and briefly wondered how the others were doing, and whether or not they had found an inn to stay at. "I don't need a lie downs!" A slurred voice called out._

_Tenten froze. That almost sounded like- No, impossible. She belittled herself. She was the great Lady Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin. No way would she be drunk at a time like this, when her help was needed the most. Realising that it simply must have been a trick of her tired mind, she resolved to request some rest as soon as she greeted her idol. Strolling casually, but quietly down the narrow corridor, she noticed that the voices had grown hushed. Curious, she reached a slightly ajar door. With a smile, she entered. As she did so, the drunken voice that she swore she had heard in the confines of her mind yelled out, "I gots no time to be helpin' a stupid brat!"_

_Tenten's hand didn't even leave the doorknob when her body refused to move. It seemed her body reacted quicker than her eyes, for it took her a while to take everything in. Gai, stood to the side of what Tenten could only presume to be a table for eating, his hand gripping someone's shoulder. His eyes widened slightly as he noticed Tenten, and flinched, realising his grip on the woman's shoulder. Shizune stood the opposite of the table, her face contorted into a disappointed frown. Her gaze dropped as she noticed Tenten standing in the doorway._

_And, finally, the slouched form of Tsunade, two empty bottles of sake littered on the table, and one more in her hand. Her eyes were glazed, and her mouth was formed into a hardened frown. Her blonde hair was a mess, frizzy and somewhat wild._

_Tenten tried to form words, but to no avail. She could feel her jaw muscles trying to move, to work. They wouldn't. They just wouldn't. She couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. Was this a… Genjutsu? No… this wasn't, was it? This wasn't an illusion, this was real. Tenten's stomach flipped, and clenched tightly. She thought she was going to be sick._

_"An' I expect you wan' me to treat that brat too, don'tcha?" Tsunade chuckled drunkenly._

_"Tenten…" Gai called out, unsure of what to say. Tenten couldn't blame him. What would you say to someone if they saw that there idol was a drunken slob?_

_She was meant to be the best medical nin, the greatest medical nin, the strongest kunoichi in the history of The Five Great Shinobi Nations. And she was slumped over a table, taking swigs from her third sake bottle. Tenten's mixture of feelings went from anger, to hate, to despair, to depression, and finally to sorrow. And then, it fell upon pity. Pity that the former glorious member of the Legendary Sannin was a wreck. Pity on herself for listening to over-hyped stories about her excellence. Pity for Lee that he would not get the help he deserved and needed because the world's greatest medic nin was a binge drinking cow. Tenten felt her heart break at seeing her one true idol, the person she aspired to be reach so low. Her face showed the barest of emotion as she slowly shut the door with an agonizing creak, and made her way back to Lee's room. Two of the three people in the room saw the flicker of emotion that crossed the brunette's face as she exited. It was raw despair._

* * *

Tenten didn't know how to feel anymore. This whole thing was a disaster. They still hadn't found Sakura, Lee's condition had deteriorated, and she had just discovered that her idol was a drunkard. Tenten never cried for anything. The last time she had cried was when Lee was injured in the first place. And, even as a child she never did cry. And she didn't cry loudly. She cried soundlessly that night. Broken and bruised mentally. Eventually, she slipped into a restless, dreamless sleep.

* * *

**And that's that!**

**Now, onward with my 'review' I suppose of the chapter, going in order from scene to scene.**

**I really enjoyed writing Hinata and Sasuke's interactions. Both are socially awkward in there own way, and I chuckled at some of the awkwardness. Now, of course, you guys know I've been trying to make Sasuke be more human, right? Well, more human is the rude way of saying it, I suppose. I'm trying to make him more sociable. I feel that Sasuke in canon never really had enough social time with his teammates, which made his defection, or rather his conflict with leaving not really make sense. However, you may be thinking I've made Sasuke far too socially awkward. In my eyes, Sasuke's never been sociable ever since the massacre. And, any social skills he would have developed as a child have been replaced with a longing for revenge. Now he's trying to find himself and be nicer, but it's a constant struggle between balancing his fondness (which he denies) for his teammates, and his hatred for Itachi. I hope that I've showcased through out the story Sasuke's internal struggle with himself. **

**I've always thought it was a bit odd, myself, that Hinata never acknowledged Sasuke was handsome. You may hate the bastard, but be you boy or girl, no matter your sexual orientation, you can admit he is attractive. And even if you loathe someone, you can tell how attractive they are anyway. Hinata's fear of Sasuke makes sense in my eyes, at least. I hope it makes sense in yours.**

**The Kiba scene was somewhat hard to write. I'm trying to balance out Kiba being in heat, but at the same time being able to suppress it. I want to show that he's in an extremely kinky state of mind, but also able to somewhat control his urges. As the fic goes on his urges will become harder and harder to fight... I also should point out that Kiba doesn't like Naruto in any physical way, nor in personality. Whereas Shino (although he won't admit it) he does. So, I enjoyed writing the scene, even if it was hard to write.**

**Ino and Kurenai's scene had me stumped for a few days, as I wasn't sure how to go about it. Thankfully, my beta gave me a hand and allowed me to commence writing, and then finishing it. Nothing much to say, really. I hope the explanation I gave for Ino's training made sense, but if it didn't please feel free to tell me and I'll try and correct it.**

**And finally Tenten's scene. I knew, more or less, where this one was going from the beginning of the chapter. Tenten's in a bad place right, and with good reason. Neji's being a dick, Lee is badly injured, and her idol is a drunkard. That would effect most people, I believe. I can imagine her crying, because of all of this happening, so I don't think it's OCC. Tenten will always be the most headstrong and tomboyish kunochi in Konoha, but even tough girls need to cry.**

**And that's really all! If you liked the style of 'review' I did in this authors note then please say so in a PM or review and I will continue to do so! I enjoyed explaining my thoughts on the chapter, and I hope that I cleared up any unasked questions for you guys. If not, once again, leave them in the review or PM.**

**Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello everybody, and welcome back to chapter twenty three of the Winds of Change! We've gone over 160 reviews! That is awesome! Thank you guys so much, and only 40 more to go before we hit 200! This is a rather short chapter, sort of like the one with Sakura and Tali a few chapters back. It's something that I couldn't fit into one of the other chapters. To the fans of Itachi and Kakashi, you'll love this chapter. It's also mainly talking, as will the next chapter, I believe. Although something might happen...**

**Anyway, since it got good reviews, I'm going to continue to do my little mini-review of the chapter! So, without further ado, I present to you chapter 23, of the Winds of Change!**

* * *

Chapter 23:

* * *

The first rays of sunlight were making themselves known over the forest canopy. The leaves whispered amongst themselves as the gentle breeze hit the trees. Kakashi Hatake strode silently along the treetops, his visible eye scanning the surrounding area. The eye crinkled as another man, with long dark hair came up by his side. "We're nearing it," the man said, his dark obsidian eyes locking with Kakashi's.

The Copy Nin found it somewhat funny that he was running side by side, looking for a shelter, with an S ranked missing nin. If all went to plan, that wouldn't remain for long.

After a long and arduous battle, Itachi had emerged with the supposed corpse of Kimmimaro over his shoulder. While he looked a little dazed, and weak, he still barked out orders to his students. Kakashi was mostly shocked by the fact that they took the bodyguard of Orochimaru with them…still breathing.

He took a look back. The skinny one with the tattoos, Fenris, was carrying the man over his shoulder. It looked uncomfortable, but, then again, that might have been the point.

The rest of his squad, although tired, were pressing on behind him. Their physical injuries, while not fully healed, had been healed enough that they could move at a reasonably fast pace. He was rather amazed that a boy so young had such a capacity for Medical Ninjutsu. Still, it had saved them. Torchlight was nearing the destination, and while sticking around near the bone forest to get caught might have been fun, the two sides had far enough action for one day. So, they fled, leaving the guards with a few corpses and an entire jungle of bone. "Are you sure you know where we are going?" Neji questioned Itachi, his eyes narrowed slightly. Of course, Neji probably wouldn't trust Itachi, Kakashi mused to himself. While bizarre, it seemed that feuds between clans ran deep.

Itachi did not turn around to answer the Hyŭga, merely saying, "Yes. We shall be there within the hour."

"And how exactly did you find this place?" Kura quipped, eyes dancing over to Neji quickly, before she rolled them.

Itachi's voice was low and smooth. "While scouting."

Neji seemed irritated by the answer. "While scouting? Could you be a bit more specific? Where exactly are we going?"

"Neji, be polite," Kakashi chided, earning a snicker from Raion.

"We are going to an abandoned house, probably owned by woodcutters. It has heating, is rather large, and is fortified enough that it won't offer any disadvantages should we be attacked."

"When did you find it, sensei?" Kataki asked, wincing. While the pain on both sides had been healed sufficiently, it was not fully healed. Gurei had run out of chakra at that point, having to heal so many people, especially Itachi. He was semi-conscious, being helped up by Raion as he hopped along.

"I found it three days ago."

Kataki's eyebrow furrowed. "Three days ago? Why didn't we move there sooner, then?"

Itachi's pace slowed down to a walk, and his team followed suit. Kakashi was amazed by their coordination. He would have to get some tips from Itachi later. His group did the same, changing to a slower pace, watching Itachi.

The Uchiha inclined his head backwards, and a half-smile played on his lips. "Because then the Leaf Ninja would not have found us."

Shino pushed his glasses up the rim of his nose. "No, we would have. Why, you ask? Kakashi-sensei has a device to track you with."

Team Itachi's face lit up with alarm, turning to face Kakashi with angry eyes. Kakashi swore he could hear the faintest hint of humour in Itachi's voice. "Yes, I know. However, travelling through a dense forest at night would hinder your attempts to find us. And I needed you to arrive when you did. After all, The Sound Five were proving a pain."

"Wait," Raion began, realisation dawning on him," You knew about them the whole time!?"

"Yes, of course."

"How?" Shikamaru drawled, scratching the back of his neck, happy with the momentary lapse of movement.

"I had two Shadow Clones scouting around the area. One spotted them a day before they got here. My clones travel far," he answered an unanswered question, "It was imperative that Kakashi's team arrived to help fight off the Sound Five. It would have taken far too long to kill them all by myself, and we have a schedule to keep. But, we will discuss that later."

"How did you know about us tracking you, and the amulet?" Kakashi asked him, as their pace began to pick back up. Itachi smirked slightly. His voice was low, and Kakashi had to strain his ears to hear the missing nin.

"Because I planned it from the beginning. We shall, however, discuss this later, over tea."

With that, and without Kakashi questioning him, Itachi bounded forward. The Copy Ninja was deeply perplexed, but himself and the other groups picked up their pace, much to the verbal annoyance of Shikamaru.

* * *

They had, instead of heading over the tops of trees, delved into the forest itself. Kakashi wasn't surprised at the thickness of the branches, and the gnarled roots that plagued the ground. "Why is this forest so dense?" Shikamaru inquired to his squad leader. Kakashi smiled.

"It was done on purpose, I believe. Itachi, where are we actually going?"

Itachi and his group had taken the lead, easily dodging and leaping over the roots. Itachi turned his head backwards, his face neutral. "We're heading to a former ANBU base. Completely abandoned."

As he said this, he turned back around and made a flurry of handsigns. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

The flame that emanated from his mouth engulfed a rather large tree, burning it to ash. Behind it was revealed to be a stone wall, thick with ivy. Itachi made a seal with his hands, "Release."

The stone wall, ever so slowly, began to tear apart down the middle. A small alcove, that looked like the remnants of a log, beckoned them. "Follow me," Itachi said, and made his way inside, ducking. Kataki frowned slightly, before following. Kura was after him, mumbling something about being in 'such close quarters'.

Kakashi was…a bit put out by their team dynamic, to say the least. This was Itachi's team? They seemed a rather rag tag bunch. Then again, Team Seven wasn't much better. Kakashi turned to look back at the team he was leading, and, noticing their apprehensive stares, gave them a small eye smile. "Don't worry about it. They're friends."

Neji snorted. "For now."

Kakashi simply blanked him, and he entered the log, following after Fenris.

The large building that lay before the group looked a little worse for wear. It was infested with all manner of plants and weeds that littered the ground, and had somehow forced their way through the crumbling wood to coil around the building. There were no windows, instead three bars of solid bamboo that allowed one to see outside. It certainly had seen better days. Although, it looked okay. Certainly nothing spectacular, but it would do. Well, to some anyway.

"Why do we always end up in shit-holes?" Kura quipped, rolling her eyes. Raion snickered, earning a glare from Itachi. The brown haired nin coughed under his breath, as Itachi moved forward.

Kakashi hummed to himself, "Ah, I think I know this place."

Kakashi's group looked at him expectantly. He eye-smiled. "Itachi, would you kindly inform my cute little genin and one mature Chunnin where we are?"

"Hn. This is one of the first ever ANBU headquarters in the Fire Country. It was created entirely by the Shodai Hokage himself. Show some respect."

"Well, sooorry…" Kura trailed off, huffing. Itachi turned his stern gaze on her.

"You will show your respects to one of the legendary Hokage's or you will leave this place."

Noticing the stern 'no compromise' edge in his eyes and voice, Kura bowed. "I apologize Itachi-sensei. I will pay my respects to the Shodai Hokage."

The rest of Itachi's group gave a smaller bow. Itachi merely gave a small 'hn,' before turning briskly and walking forward.

"Now, why can't you behave like that?" Kakashi asked his group. A plague of death glares followed.

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to gain access too, and the sight that greeted them was quite promising. A large room lay before the two groups, more than enough room for them all to have their own spaces comfortably. A large table stood cracked in the middle, a thick vine coiled around the centre. The air was thick with dust, and all manner of shrubbery and vegetation littered the wooden floor.

"Shit on the outside, shit on the inside." Kura sighed, "I can see that this place has been abandoned for quite a while."

"Hn." Itachi answered, moving gracefully forward. The groups followed. Eventually, they reached the far wooden wall, and Itachi spoke clearly. "Right. Kataki, Fenris and Utsuro will scout out the upper floors."

"What upper floors?" Raion asked. "I didn't see anything."

"Genjutsu." Neji said, his Byakugan firing up. "Two flights of stairs in the corner of the room, a trap door off to the right hand wall and four doors leading into different directions."

"Very well done Hyŭga. Since you seem capable enough, why don't you go and investigate the other flight of stairs?"

Neji scowled at Itachi. Kakashi swore he saw a hint of amusement in Itachi's obsidian black eyes. "Do as he says, Neji. Go scout out the other flight of stairs with Shino. Shikamaru, you handle the door second door on the left."

"Yes. Raion, you take the first door on the left. Gurei, you take the first door on the right, and Kura, you take the second door on the right. Beforehand, however, make sure you're at as full capacity as you can be. Gurei will heal you properly, as we needed to do a quick job beforehand."

Neji seemed prepared to object, but a crinkle of Kakashi's eye stopped him. "Neji, I can see you're feeling some discomfort. Go and get healed, and then be on your way."

The Hyŭga's scowl deepened, but he complied, walking over to Gurei. The grey haired nin greeted him with a small smile, setting some medical supplies down on the table, and pulled out two chairs. "So, where are you hurt then?"

While the others went about milling around, Neji just stared angrily. "I don't want your help," he snarled.

Gurei's smile slowly coiled into an indifferent expression. "You don't have a choice. You're worried we're going to betray you? Would you rather be healed and able to combat us more effectively, or not be healed and be a weak link in your team?"

"And who's to say you won't just poison me, or something?"

Gurei scoffed," There would be no point. Right now we're friends, until our sensei's say otherwise, right? So, I'm inclined to help you, being the only medic out of all of us. So, you can either accept my help, or not. Tell me where it hurts."

Neji and Gurei locked eyes, both their wills refusing to waver. Eventually, Neji's scowl loosened slightly. "Fine…"

* * *

Eventually, all of the teens had gone their own way, investigating the compound, leaving Itachi and Kakashi alone together. Both were sat on opposite sides of the table, facing each other. Well, Kakashi was reading Icha Icha, but his eye flickered to Itachi's brooding form from time to time.

"You got them out of the way on purpose, didn't you?"

"Of course. Kura, leave."

Kakashi frowned slightly as Kura seemed to fade in from the shadows. "Fine, fine," she said, flipping her hair behind her head, "Although, I need to tell you something about Utsuro. It's weird that she just disappeared from the battle and reappeared afterwards-"

"Not now Kura. Get out, and go explore. Now."

"Hn." Kura copied Itachi's favourite phrase, "Okay, fine. Do you want me to get injured by the traps you set up to make it look more realistic, or…?"

Itachi smirked. "If you can avoid them, of course."

Kura scoffed, walking down towards her door. "I always avoid things that don't hit me in all the right places." And, with that, she slipped into the darkness.

Kakashi merely shook his head. "As you were saying?"

"Hn, yes. They would only serve as a distraction for now. Allow me to explain the plan, and what will happen."

Kakashi's eyebrow rose slightly. "Who said you could decide what we do?"

"I've decided everything from the very beginning, Hatake. I presume you are the one the Hokage gave the letter to? Does anybody else know?"

"It was not the Hokage that gave the letter to me himself, he died before he could. I was given it by Danzō."

"I see…" Itachi trailed off in thought for a few moments, before he continued, "Could the contents of the letter have been read?"

"It's possible, yes. When I received the letter, it had been sealed. However, Danzō could have broken it rather easily, so I am not sure."

"It doesn't matter now. I shall tell you everything."

Kakashi braced himself, and Itachi spoke, "The amulet was sent by me to the Third Hokage, with instructions. When the time came, he would send you out to come and collect me, and my students. This was three years ago, now. It took a while to procure that amulet, having been sold by many a treasure hunter. Someone must have stolen it from the compound. The Sandaime replied quickly, saying he would do so. However, times have changed. I have… other goals that need to be dealt with. Some within Konoha and some out of Konoha."

"Hm," Kakashi said, not looking away from his precious book, "that will depend on what your goals are."

"I have too many to list. I wish to give my students a home, whether they want it or not. But, I wish for something within Konoha. Having it will be a great benefit to the village as a whole. But, I will need to do some digging. If I am to come back, I will need full access to all of Konoha's Archives, including architecture of clan compounds. Specifically, the Hyŭga."

"What exactly are you searching for, then?"

"There are something's in this world far more powerful than human imagination can comprehend. So powerful, in fact, that certain organisations are investigating."

"You mean the Akatsuki? Are they not just after the Bijū?"

Itachi actually chuckled slightly. "No, they're not. The Bijū, while very powerful, are not the strongest things in existence."

"Oh really? And how exactly did you come to know about this object you're looking for?"

"Hn. My time in the Akatsuki allowed me to do some digging. I found out… much. All I ask is that you let me conduct my investigation without any interruptions. And, I ask for one more thing."

Itachi paused, seemingly for effect. "Do not tell the council or the citizens of Konoha the truth."

"What? Why!? You'd be pardoned, and Danzō would be arrested-"

"That is exactly what I do not wish to happen. Not yet, anyway. Allow me to commence my investigation and research in private. Allow me this, and I will come back to Konoha. You would be unwise to say no."

"Perhaps. You are, however, an S ranked criminal. Bringing you back will cause massive uproar."

"That's the plan. The longer I remain hated, the easier it will be to put my plans in motion. There are some things that I cannot tell you, Kakashi Hatake. But, they will benefit Konoha, in time."

Kakashi thought this over. Here Itachi Uchiha was, willingly handing himself back to Konoha. It could be a trap; they could simply lock him up and execute him. But, Itachi was clever. Far too clever. He knew Kakashi couldn't refuse. While his students did complicate matters, and his investigation was very suspicious, The Copy Ninja decided to place his personal feelings aside for now. "Very well. But, you must tell me what you're looking for. Or no deal."

It was a risky move, but Kakashi needed to know what Itachi wanted. It was within his right. Itachi regarded him with cool eyes, his expression tense. However, he replied with, "Very well. You have a right to know. I'm looking for a key. This key unlocks untold power, and if the Akatsuki or Orochimaru got a hold of such power, then the world would be doomed. I need to find this key, and it is hidden somewhere in Konoha. I'm not exactly sure where, but scriptures indicate that the Hyŭga used to be guardians of the key. That is- Wait, there is something else I suppose I should mention. There is more than one key. And each key belongs to a nation."

Well, damn. So, Itachi was looking for a key that would unlock limitless power, but all the other nations have a key as well. "So, how does that work, then?"

"All of the keys need to be activated at the same time in order to gain access to The Vault."

"The Vault?"

"Yes. It is the name given to… I cannot reveal anymore, for now. Do you accept my proposal?"

Kakashi thought for a few minutes, weighing everything up in his head. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Yes. We have a deal."

Itachi nodded in what Kakashi could only presume was thanks, before he spoke once more. "Onto the present matter. My student has been kidnapped by the Akatsuki."

"Yes, as has one of mine. However, it was by rogue ninja, not affiliated with the Akatsuki. They are being led by a traitor called Mizuki."

"I see. It seems as though we share a common enemy. The Akatsuki and your rogue ninja have taken both of our students, and are holding them captive. They're not the only forces at play, however. Some Oto Ninja have been sighted around Orochiasu. I spotted them heading into the compound where my student and your student are being held."

"Where exactly is this compound, then?"

"The compound itself is mainly hidden underground. However, a there is a dome the size of a house hidden by a powerful Genjutsu. This is the only entrance I know of. I managed to infiltrate the area. I found some… disconcerting evidence. They had approximately three hundred or so Oto Shinobi present. However, only about twenty five of the three hundred were fully trained Shinobi. The others looked like conscripts of some kind."

"Conscripts? He must be running low on man power…"

"Perhaps. From observing their drills, the highest of them are only about as adept as an academy student in their last year. Simple enough to incapacitate. This isn't your whole team, who else is there?"

"I have Might Gai, Kurenai Yūhi, another Hyŭga, Aburame, Inuzuka, Yamanaka, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke."

Itachi bristled slightly at the mention of his little brother. "Hn. I see an interesting mix. All genin, besides Gai and Kurenai, yes?"

Kakashi nodded. "Not the best fighting force. I presume their abilities are adequate?"

"Indeed. The group I have with me is the scouting group, while the rest of them are currently in the town."

"You have a way of getting a message to them? We need to properly plan."

"Of course. One of my Nin-Dogs can send the message."

"Again, very good. I was planning on assaulting the base tomorrow, but our injuries will need time to heal. Two to three days, at the least. Then we will need a plan of attack, but we can discuss that a little later. Our students are returning."

Kakashi could sense them too. Neji and Shino appeared first. "Traps, but nothing truly worrying," Shino said.

As the others appeared from their respective rooms, they all said the same. Multiple traps, but nothing that resulted in any major injury. A few cuts and bruises, that was all. Kakashi had to admire Itachi. He truly was a genius. Things were certainly going to turn interesting around Konoha with him around. And, to be totally truthful, the Copy Ninja didn't know whether this was a good or bad thing. He would have to ponder it. For now, he had to get ready to send a message. In a few days they would be getting back Sakura Haruno from the Lightning Ninja and the Akatsuki. And they needed to be prepared. Luckily, they had acquired a few more allies to help_. "Sakura, we're coming to save you. Hold on."_

* * *

**And that's that! Not much to say about this chapter, really. It was mainly just discussing some of Itachi's motives (he has a lot) and Kakashi's agreement. **

**Yes, they did spare Kimimaro. That will come into play sometime soon, I can assure you. Itachi always has his reasons for everything he does. And where did Utsuro disappear too? Hm, I wonder...**

**Anyway, to point out something from last chapter, someone said that Tsunade probably would have helped Lee out. And, I do agree. There was a reason, however, she didn't. Once again, it shall be explained in due time.**

**And one quick thing before we go. Since we've hit over 150 reviews, I think we should so something special, albeit smaller. Would any of you be interested in learning, through my experience, how to get reviews? I'm not saying I'm the best, or have loads of reviews. I'm simply offering my help to those interested. Also, because I keep forgetting things during these authors notes, a shoutout:**

**I would implore you all to go and check out DownsofFire's new fic Absent Serpent. I may have given a shoutout to another fic of his, The Rejected Child. That has been discontinued and replaced with this. It's the tale of three prisoners who escape from Orochimaru's evil clutches, and try and survive in the cruel and hostile world of the Shinobi. I ask you to please check it out. It would make me really happy. And even if you don't like it, atleast you gave it a look. You may love it! Thanks in advance!**

**Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello everybody, and welcome to chapter twenty four of the Winds of Change! Well, we've hit over 170 reviews, which is pretty freaking awesome! We're gaining over ten or so reviews between chapters! **

**Quick note that I've forgot to mention, 'cause I'm forgetful. Please check out my beta Dosu2Dinner! He's one of my best friends, and he writes phenomenally well-written fanfictions, and is just a great person! I urge you to check him out.**

**Also, I really should have mentioned this much earlier... But, the poll on my profile is closed! So, we've come to a decision regarding whether it's going to be KakaAnko, or KakaKure.**

**KakaAnko won by two votes, with six, while KakaKure had four. So, there you go! The majority have voted!**

**Anyway, without further ado, I present to you chapter 24, of the Winds of Change.**

* * *

Chapter 24:

* * *

Naruto was cold. Deathly cold. It was like, during his sleep, a thick veil of ice had overcome his body, encasing it thoroughly. His eyes snapped open. He was not in his bed in the inn that was for sure. Greenish walls made of stone were all he could see. He felt water on his back, damping his hair. He raised up groggily, rubbing the back of his head. Where was he? He felt like he had been here before, but at the same time...

**"And so he awakens."**

Naruto's head throbbed at the deep voice, and he turned his head to the side. And his cerulean eyes widened in fear and understanding. Across from him, stone bars stood strong and steadfast. And, behind them, the demonic glint of red eyes, and bared teeth.** "Boy. I have summoned you, come here."**

"No!" Naruto yelled bravely, leaping to his feet and pointing an accusing finger at the Kyuubi. "Why would I come near you, you stupid fox!? You've done everything to destroy me!"

The fox chuckled darkly, all nine of it's tails swishing in the darkness. **"Destroy you? No, I've only helped you. Without me, you would be nothing!"**

The roar from the beast sent shockwaves throughout the stone room, causing the water to ripple. Naruto stood his ground, his gaze defiant. "Without you… without you…"

**"Without me what brat? You would be loved? Be respected, and not feared? You insolent fool. You would still be hated for what you are! An idiotic fool!"**

Naruto grimaced. Would he? Would he still be hated by the populace of Konoha? Be hated with such anger that he was far too familiar with killing intent then he should be?

The Kyuubi continued tearing into the boy, **"You think your teammates care about you in any way? I see with your eyes, hear with your ears. I know what you think, when you think it. As much as it pains me to say this, we are one. I, the great Kyuubi am one with an pathetic Dobe! Your teammates couldn't care less about you."**

The Kyuubi moved closer to the cage, his breath causing ripples in the pool of water. **"The Uchiha boy, he resents you. He feels you are dead-weight, weak and worthless. Pathetic and a downright fool. He would be better to kill you. And what about that girl you have a crush on. She is more pathetic than you, fawning constantly after that Uchiha. She is weak, but she knows that you are weak too. She beats you, and hits you, and loathes you. And then there is your teacher, the one who has taught you nothing. He spends time with the one who has true talent, the Uchiha. But, heh, I can make you strong."**

"Shut up!" Naruto roared, taking a step forward, "You don't know anything, you're just a dumb fox!"

**"Am I? Is that all, just a dumb fox? I AM THE KYUUBI! You are weak! I have the power to turn you into a god, and yet you reject me. With this power, you could save all your friends. With this power, you could have saved your beloved Hokage! YOU ARE WEAK! YOU WILL ALWAYS BE WEAK!"**

Naruto was fighting back tears. What if the Kyuubi truly was right? What if he was a failure. What if he-

_"I believe in you."_

Hinata's words chimed through the stone wall, and the Kyuubi roared. "**Ah, this is the Hyŭga brat! She seems present on your mind a lot, recently. Tell me then, Dobe, what would happen if she was slain?"**

Naruto's confidence had returned with Hinata's soothing voice, but it wavered at the demon's words. "What?"

**"If she were torn to pieces, ripped apart. Her blood soaking the floor, her guts displayed across the walls!"** He laughed** "And you couldn't do anything about it! But, you could. Take off the seal, let me have power!"**

Naruto began to shake violently. "No… No. No! No! NO! I'm not some dumb brat, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm going to be Hokage with the help of my friends! I do not need your help!"

The Kyuubi glowered, before it began its retreat back into it's cage. **"You have strong emotions, brat. Emotions leads to pain, pain leads to suffering, suffering leads to anger. And anger leads to me."**

Naruto left his landscape feeling resolved, and yet shaken all at once.

* * *

The landscape was still. There was no movement from anything. Not the trees, nor the plants, nor the wind. The world seemed to have stopped for the briefest of moments. Soundlessly, great overarching clouds drifted aimlessly, blotting out the darkened sky. Stars shone brightly, and yet their light never reached past the clouds. Slowly, a small gust of wind blew across the plain, causing the grass to sway to and fro. Crickets began to chirp within the blades of grass, content being hidden, and yet musical. The wind played a melodic tune, cutting through the former stillness with grace. The river that ran under the wooden bridge rippled slightly, a few stars just trickling through the clouds and catching the river's eye. It was a melodic and serene bliss. And, just like that, it was over. The song of wind ended, and was replaced by deafening silence. The crickets stopped their crackling tune, and lay still. The river stopped rippling, and flowed with silent curiosity.

The sound of bells jingled within the night.

Two people walked down the long road, coming from the steadfast row of trees. Their approach seemed marred by fear, like a piece of death itself was stalking the two travellers. The bell jingled within the night once more, startling the quiet.

Both travellers were adorned with the same gear. A cloak, black as coal and dark as night. Covered in red clouds. It was long and thick, and added to the fear that they both carried. Upon there heads lay conical straw hats, with small ornamental torques and tassels hanging down over their faces. One of these was the ever chiming bell, signifying their presence.

While both similar in attire, their stature and stance were very different. The first was most certainly a woman, with a somewhat curvaceous figure. However, her stance was one of royalty and power. But, most of all, confidence. She walked proudly, her head raised upwards, darkened by the night. Flowing hair billowed down her back, thick and smooth.

Her companion was vastly different. About a foot higher than herself, with a surly build. His body was taut and radiated danger. He paused every once in a while to sniff the air. His tanned skin matched perfectly with the dark, compared to the fair complexion of his female companion. He let out a low growl, inclining his head downwards to the woman. "This is…?"

His voice was gruff and crude, and held a bit of raw power. The woman nodded silently, and he could tell her eyes were forward. Watching.

"Yes." Her voice in comparison was softer, but still held authority. It sounded as though, at one point, it had been calm and gentle.

"Heh," the man chuckled as they crossed over the wooden bridge, his footsteps echoing, "I haven't been here in a while." He turned to his companion and grinned wolfishly, white sharp teeth glinting. The woman turned her white eyes upon him, and frowned.

"No, we have not." They held the smallest hint of lavender.

On the contrary, the man's eyes were a fierce brownish yellow, deep with masculinity and strength.

They continued on in silence, only their footsteps and the occasional chime of the bell to indicate movement and sound within the world.

The looming wooden walls of Orochiasu, lighted by torchlight was soon upon them. A lone guard stood posted at the gate, his eyes weary of the newcomers. Leaning off against the wall, he stepped in front of them as they attempted to move past. He couldn't make out there faces, but he felt a deep sense of unease. "Greetings. I would ask that you either show some ID, or please come back tomorrow morning at eight o'clock. We only allow merchant caravans in at night." His voice became lower and lower as he spoke. The tall man seemed to be glowering at him from behind his hat, his stature becoming exceedingly larger by the minute.

"Garou." The woman's voice was crystal clear, soft, and yet stern. "We're not here to pick fights with guards."

Garou laughed suddenly, his deep voice causing the guard to shudder. "You're right," he grinned, "I apologize."

"Hn." The guard is about to scream, call for aid, reaching for the short sword strapped for his belt, anything! However, the sound of a bell, jingling softly, stopped him. It was like all the tension evaporated from his body. All the fear, all the trepidation. All gone.

The woman's white eyes flickered onto the guards for the briefest of moments. The guard nodded without permission, turning his head upwards. He called out, "Let them in. They have ID." Two guards from the top of the wall peered down.

One of them looked at his friend strangely, before nodding, and disappeared from sight. The large gates swung open silently. "Have a pleasant night at Orochiasu," the guard greeting Garou and the woman smiled. Garou grinned, brushing past the man, and slipping something into his pocket. The woman followed, and soon they were in the village, the large doors closing behind them.

"You placed one of your pills in his pocket," the woman stated blandly. Garou flexed his shoulder muscles.

"Yep. This is one of my favourites In a few hours the pill will dissolve. And twenty four hours after that, the fumes will have entered his body, causing intense rabid symtoms and pure unadulterated rage!" A sadistic smile played on the Akatsuki's lips.

"Hn," the woman acknowledged. "Let us go. We need to find the container of the Nine Tailed Fox."

Garou cracked his knuckles, growling. "And steal us a Bijū! By the way, nice work on that guard, Hyouden."

Hyouden nodded briefly. "Your attempt at entering would have resulted in us slaughtering the entire guard. There will come a time for bloodshed, but not now. Let us press onward."

The two ninja leapt into the shadows of an alleyway.

* * *

Kurenai examined her group. They all looked relatively perky and refreshed, which was good. That would be needed.

"Okay everyone," she announced, earning their attention.

It seemed that Sasuke and Hinata were more comfortable with each other, standing closer than they ever had. Naruto was nursing a bruise on his right cheek. Kurenai heard the racket coming from the boy's room that night, and looking over to Kiba. It seemed as though they were both worse for wear. Eager though. Ino seemed bubbly, shooting the dark haired Jōnin a bright smile, which she returned. Ino was a good girl. A bit boy crazy and emotional, but a good girl.

"We're going to start moving out now."

Naruto grinned, pumping his tanned fist into the air. "Yeah!"

Kurenai rolled her wine red eyes, but couldn't keep the smirk that stole her lips at bay. "I admire your enthusiasm, Naruto, but keep it down. The others are looking at us."

They stood in a corner of the Inn, people nursing drinks and staring at them with narrowed eyes. Who drinks at nine in the morning!? Well, sometimes she indulged in some wine, but that's besides the point. The air was thick and heavy with smoke from cigars and cigarettes, but it held a homely feel, somewhat. Apart from all the burly smashed men, of course.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, a foxy grin lighting up the room. "Hehe, sorry about that sensei, I just got excited!"

She could tell, he was practically vibrating. Hinata watched him, smiling softly. Surprisingly, Sasuke was watching her watching Naruto. And Kurenai swore she noticed the corners of his mouth turning upwards. Kiba slapped Naruto on the back, earning a yelp from the blonde, and a scowl. Kiba chuckled.

Their team dynamic certainly was interesting, but they all seemed to get on well with each other. That was good.

"All right, settle down you lot."

The genin fell into a silence, waiting for Kurenai to speak. "I'll get this out of the way first. Ino."

Hearing her name, the platinum blonde turned and smiled. "Yes Kurenai-sensei?"

"I have an important job for you."

Reaching into her pocket, Kurenai pulled out a small scroll and outstretched her hand. Ino took it from her, and looked over it. "What's it for, sensei?"

"I need you to deliver it to Gai. His location is listed in the scroll. After that, you're to find out what is happening with Lee, and then report back to the Inn, understood?"

"Hai Kurenai-sensei."

"Good," Kurenai smiled softly. She did rather like Ino. She was certainly more brassy and confident than Hinata. Still, Hinata would always remain her 'little sister' as it were. "Stay safe. One more thing."

She tossed over a small pouch. "Explosive coloured powder," she explained. "It's very bright, so shield your eyes. Use it if you're in serious danger, okay?"

Ino nodded, flipping her pony-tail. "You've got it sensei!"

"Head on out then Ino. I expect you to report back here at thirteen hundred hours."

Ino and the others blinked, except for Kiba and Hinata. "What are you talking 'bout sensei!? There ain't no thirteen hundred hours!"

Kurenai sighed. What had those men been teaching these kids. "It means one in the afternoon, okay?"

The group chorused "Oh!" before nodding.

"See you guys later, try not to get killed without me!"

Kiba scoffed. "You wish Ino. Sorry I won't be to protect you."

Ino huffed, her blue eyes steeling. "As soon as this mission is over I'm going to kick your ass to high heaven, Kami help me Inuzuka!"

Kiba grinned wolfishly.

The Yamanka growled low, before turning on her heel, waving a goodbye, and briskly exiting out of the Inn.

Hinata watched her go, and noticed Kiba's eyes trailing after her. More specifically, her behind. She sighed. She would never be as cute as Ino was, and Naruto would never notice her…

"Hinata," Naruto whispered into her ear, causing her to have momentary heart failure. His face was so close to her cheek! She could feel the warmth of his breath, "I don't understand what Kurenai-sensei meant by 'thirteen hundred hours'. Could you explain to me, please? I don't want to sound like an idiot in front of the Teme."

"You've proved it before. Dobe." Sasuke snickered. Naruto ignored him, and Hinata could feel her cheeks go bright red as she stared into expectant cerulean eyes.

"We-well, it's j-just an-another way of counting th-the hours in the d-day. S-so, i-it goes from twelve a-at night to tw-twelve in the afternoon. S-so, some people just carry o-on instead of res-restarting the cl-clock, so it goes thirteen, fo-fourteen, fifteen, instead of o-one, tw-two, th-three…" She trailed off, her cheeks burning.

Naruto looked considerate for a few moments, his mouth contorted in concentration. It was replaced by an exuberant smile, as he reached over and squeezed Hinata's shoulder. "Thanks a bunch Hinata, you're the-"

He noticed the way his hand was held over her shoulder, and pulled it back as if he was burnt._ "You stupid bastard!"_ He thought to himself, _"She obviously doesn't like you! It's why she always blushes and stutters, she doesn't know what to say because she's scared!"_

Sasuke watched Naruto's smile fade and be replaced with a sad frown. The Uchiha followed that up with a scowl of his own. Things had been going so well, too!

Hinata was dejected. He had touched her, and had been repulsed. Of course, she was repulsive…

Kiba was oblivious to the changing emotions of his teammates, struggling fiercly to block out the images of ravishing Ino on one of the wooden tables. The Heat was getting unbearable…

Kurenai noticed the change of emotions, and sighed internally. They were about to get ready for a mission.

"Right, listen up. I need all of you focused and alert, all right?"

Everyone nodded, albeit half-heartedly. They were far too focused on there own problems. Kurenai bit her lip, before continue, "We'll be scouting around the town for any clues on Sakura's whereabouts. Kiba, I need your nose, and Akamaru's trained on this scent." She reached into her pocket and handed him a small piece of pink fabric. A piece of Sakura's dress, most likely ripped from her clothed form.

Sasuke and Naruto stiffend.

Kiba took a deep whiff, before nodding. "Okay Kurenai-sensei, I'll try. I'm the best tracker in the Inuzuka."

"B-but Kiba," Hinata interrupted softly, her downturned lips lifting slightly, "Y-you cou-couldn't smell T-Tora…"

"We said we wouldn't talk about that!" Kiba snapped, crossing his arms. Hinata couldn't help but giggle.

Naruto turned away from the Hyŭga heir. Of course, she didn't like him at all. She would much rather spend time with Kiba and Akamaru. Which was fine, he didn't really care… even if Hinata was very nice to him.

"Hn, focus Naruto. Sakura, remember?" Sasuke's cold voice cut through his thoughts, and he nodded rapidly. No time to be worrying about Hinata, Sakura needed saving.

Content that Naruto was listening, Sasuke turned his attention back to Kurenai.

"Okay Kiba, settle down," She tried soothing Kiba as he muttered obscenities about Tora the cat. "Where is Akamaru?"

"Oh, well…" Kiba stopped muttering and frowned. Where was Akamaru, actually. His intense urges had been so, well, intense that he hadn't even noticed his best buddy disappearing.

Right on cue, Akamaru strode in, his head and tail held high, the equivalent of a shit-eating grin on his dog like face. Kiba sniffed the air, and gagged in revulsion. Akamaru had obviously met a female friend. His gagging, however, was a cover-up. The smell of hormones in the air was driving him crazy! He hoped this briefing would end soon, otherwise he might end up in jail, charged with sexual assault…

Kiba knelt down, and handed shoved the piece of cloth in Akamaru's face. He sniffed it, and barked. "Okay, he's got it."

Kurenai smiled. "Good. Tell Akamaru to keep his activities with females on the down low while we're on a mission."

Hinata almost fainted.

"Okay. So, we're going to be scouting around the main market area. Hinata, remember to pull your hood up while using the Byakugan," Kurenai whispered. "Sasuke, Naruto, keep your ears and eyes open. Look for any suspicious activity Sasuke especially, give me a signal when you're about to activate your Sharingan, and I'll perform a minor Genjutsu to shield your eyes."

Sasuke nodded. Naruto beamed, his momentary depression forgotten for now. "All right, let's go!"

* * *

This place was certainly bustling with life. All around people shuffled and dodged each other, trying fruitlessly to get to their destinations. The crowds were thick, parting only ever so slightly that people could just about squeeze through to get on there way. The noise was loud and uproarious with the occasional sound of music punctuating the air. Ino had always liked street performers. During many of Konoha's festivals jugglers and fire-breathers and dances would flock and perform for the crowds. It enchanted her. The soft melody of the flute was a nice break from the bustling masses of shoppers.

While the street performers were enchanting, they seemed almost obsolete compared to the amount of stalls that littered the streets. Merchants crooned about their wares, trying to attract passers by with persuasive language and utter nonsense. Jewellery shone brightly in the morning sun, the particular owners of those stalls dressed somewhat lavishly. Comparatively you had the craftsman selling beautiful wooden carvings and toys, dressed in workman's clothes, haggard and tired.

The platinum paused her trail, her eyes dancing over the seemingly hand crafted toys. She remembered playing with things like this. Wooden boats with masts long and thick, little toy cats and dogs, and..

Her face brightened as she noticed a set of wooden kunai. Oh, the memories of the academy. Kami, that seemed so long ago, now. Playing Ninja was a lot easier than actually being a Ninja, that was for sure. But, both were equally rewarding. Or, were they?

"I hand-crafted these myself, you know?" A voice cut through her thoughts. She turned her head upwards, and was greeted by a handsome young man with light dusty brown hair.

"They're very nice," Ino exclaimed, "Would you mind if I…" she gestured to the wooden kunai.

The man chuckled. "Not at all."

Ino smiled, then picked up one of the wooden kunai. It was so smooth! She remembered throwing these things, playing with them, laughing with them…

"They're really nice. I used to play with these all the time." She placed it back down.

The craftsman eyebrow raised, "You're a ninja, then?"

Ino realised her mistake, and let out a high laugh. "Me, a ninja?" She giggled coyly, "No, I'm far to… delicate to be one of them. I used to play with stuff like this when I was little, and wanted to be a ninja. Who didn't want to be a ninja at that age?"

The craftsman smiled. "True. And, it's good you're not a ninja. They're not generally welcomed around these parts, and a pretty little face like yours getting messed up would make the world a worse place then it already is."

Blushing at the compliment, the blonde decided to press, "What do you mean about ninja's not being welcomed around here? I thought they were supposed to protect people?"

He looked hesitant, but Ino knew how to draw people in. Specifically boys. They only generally thought with their dick. She fluttered her eyelashes, and coyly smiled. Hook, line and sinker.

The craftsman seemed more at ease, and leaned in towards her, "Well, the mayor of the town doesn't like anybody muscling on his turf."

"Who's the mayor?"

"A man named Kazai. He owns," he gestured all around, "All of this. It's common knowledge that he bought his way into power, but even that is just a title. He's owned his town far longer then anybody can remember."

"So, he's corrupt?"

The craftsman snorted, "Understatement. He controls the city guard, bullies independent merchants to join his company. I think it's something like… Uh… I can't remember right now, sorry…"

His face was strained in thought. He wasn't telling her the whole truth. "He has spies everywhere," he continued, "So be careful, okay?"

"Do you work for him, then? Because, someone who seems as brave and headstrong as you surely wouldn't work under such an evil man?" She flirted. The craftsman chuckled.

"No, no, not yet. But, his goons are putting pressure on me.. I don't know how much longer I can hold out."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "But never mind about that!"

It was obvious he was telling the truth… about somethings. However, he was also lying.

"Oh, okay. Thank you for the information."

"His spies are everywhere, so be on the lookout."

Ino nodded, smiling despite herself. Hey, there was a cute guy there! What was she supposed to do!? Shikamaru would be pissed… she giggled at the thought.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out some Ryō notes and handed them to the craftsman. He looked at her in confusion. "For the wooden kunai."

"Oh! Okay, thank you for your business! Come again soon!"

Slipping the the wooden kunai set into her pocket, she smiled once more at the handsome craftsman, before continuing on her way. She hummed thoughtfully as she continued through the bustling street. For some reason, the wooden kunai made her feel lighter and happier.

* * *

Kami the smells! Oh sweet mother… the smells!

Even Sasuke had to admit that the smells around the marketplace were, rather simply, divine. Baked bread, sweets, donuts, ramen…

Naruto was currently begging Kurenai for just one bowl, which would most likely turn into two, and then three, and then four. It was rather busy, with customers all vying for different foods. It was unfair that they had to walk down the street where vendors were selling food. Sweet, sweet food. Sasuke's eyes widened as he settled on some fresh succulent tomatoes. He almost started drooling. Uchiha don't drool, however.

Kiba and Akamaru were trying their hardest to stay focused, but the wonderful aroma of meat had filled their nostrils. A roasted pig was being cut into delicious slabs of warm meat. They could almost taste it.

Sasuke had, however, other motives, blocking out the large smells of food that punctuated the air. Subtely changing his directory from back of the group, off to the left, he moved up behind Hinata.

"What's going on with Naruto?"

Hinata squeaked loudly, her face red. "S-Sasuke! Do-don't d-do tha-that!"

Sasuke shrugged apologetically, before he black eyes regained there former confidence. "Well?"

"I-I don't know. He-he mu-must think I-I'm revolting…"

Sasuke scoffed loudly, crossing his arms. "Hn, as if. I highly doubt it's that."

He watched the blonde boy, finally having stopped his tirade of ramen love. He looked… crestfallen. Downtrodden.

The Uchiha's brows narrowed in thought. What had changed from last night till now? They were fine before they went to their respective rooms, but now…

"S-Sasuke… yo-you had a n-nightmare last night…"

Sasuke's gaze snapped to Hinata's lavender eyes. She turned her head away. "So-sorry…" she mumbled.

She had noticed his nightmares? Did he have nightmares last night? He didn't-

_Flash of steel, blood pooling on the floor. Coal black eyes, lifeless. Hair drenched with blood. Three tomoe eyes glare, menacing and bloodthirsty. Screams of the dying, weeping of the fallen. Cold snake like eyes-_

"Sa-Sasuke?" Hinata said in alarm, "A-Are you al-all right?"

The Uchiha was broken from his thoughts, and frowned. "Yes, I'm fine. Stay out of it."

Hinata shrunk. "S-sorr-sorry…"

Sasuke sighed. "No, it's fine. I'm… sorry." That word was so hard to swallow!

Hinata smiled softly, although still hesitant, she asked, "I-if you want, I-I could m-maybe help you wi-with you-your dreams?"

"How?"

"T-talking so-sometimes h-helps."

Sasuke paused. Would it? Would it really? No, it wouldn't. Talking wouldn't erase the pain, the suffering. Only action. Only Itachi's death.

"No. No… thank you." He offered the barest of smiles.

Hinata offered one in return.

Naruto's cerulean eyes were locked on the two as they walked and talked. He frowned. What was this feeling… this weird feeling coiling in his gut. It was like that feeling he got when he was younger. When he saw other kids go home with there parents… Jealousy? Of what!? Hinata and Sasuke were just talking… and getting on well… It didn't matter. Hinata didn't like him, she was scared of him, it was obvious. So, he really didn't care. Or, at least he tried not too.

* * *

Kiba's sense of smell was rather accurate. He could smell almost everything, to the finest detail. The smell of hormones? Easy. The smell of morning dew on the leaves? Even easier. This street was like a goldmine of smells, all congregated into one area. Separating them was proving challenging especially because everything smelled so damn good! Meat, fish, ramen, rice, donuts, bread… all of it smelt so good!

He had not detected anything to do with Sakura at all. But, at least his erection had subsided thanks to all the smells, and his concentration on them.

He had to stop for a moment and stare, however, as they exited the street.

A large white fountain stood like an obelisk. White marble, shining with the sun showed such craftsmanship. The pool of water was cool and clear, and the jets of it sprinkled the air with enough moisture to cool even the most dehydrated of people. It looked spectacular.

People sat on benches, just revelling in the droplets of water. The ground was paved with light coloured grey slabs, adding to the effect. What a beautiful sight.

"Wow…" Naruto said, jaw slackened and eyes widened, "That's so cool!"

Sasuke nodded in agreement, and Hinata just stared. Kiba couldn't help it, this was just too cool!

"Race you there, Naruto!" And, with that, he was off, his faithful companion in tow.

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, quickly running off to catch up with the Inuzuka.

Kurenai sighed. Such was having two loud boys on your squad.

"I'll go fetch the idiots," Sasuke sneered, although the smallest of smirks was playing on his lips.

The Uchiha walked forward calmly, and Hinata smiled apologetically to Kurenai, before following after him.

Kurenai couldn't help but chuckle. Youth were so playful these days. Good times… Well, she supposed they deserved a little break. With a small smile, she found herself a bench, and watched the genin mess around.

* * *

Kiba's scent was much clearer now, thanks to being out of that street. As he wrestled with Naruto jovially, Sasuke and Hinata watching on, he couldn't help but smile. As much as this was an important mission, and as much as The Heat kept wanting him to sleep with everything and anything, he found himself having all sorts of fun. Naruto was fun to be around with, and even prickish Sasuke wasn't so bad.

And then the smell hit his nose. He immediately stopped moving, and was tackled down by Naruto. He didn't care. It was that smell. Dried leaves, musky. It reverberated through his body, his soul.

Kiba shoved Naruto off of him roughly, leaping up. That scent was strong. His muscles and jaw clenched, his eyes turning feral. Akamaru whimpered at his master's change in demeanour.

"Hehe, good shove mutt! Let's try-Uh, hey, you okay dude?" Naruto asked, noticing Kiba's sudden stiffness and anger.

Without warning, Kiba bolted forward. "Kiba!" Kurenai cried helplessly as he continued speeding off, his eyes feral and rage-filled.

Hinata gasped at his change in emotion, and, weighing up her options, decided to do something extremely risky. Shooting Kurenai an apologetic look, she raced after Kiba and Akamaru.

Sasuke and Naruto were stunned. What the hell was going on!? Why was Kiba so angry!?

There thought processes didn't get very far, as Kurenai's yell reached there ears. "Run!"

* * *

Kiba didn't stop for anybody. If people got in his way, he knocked them down. He was too blinded by rage and fear to care at this point.

A cart was being pulled across the street. Kiba didn't stop, didn't care. He leapt forward, crashing through and destroying the wooden cart. Akamaru was hot on his heels, deeply worried about his master.

Hinata was not far behind that, absolutely mortified. She had never seen Kiba like this. So.. enraged. Angry at everything. What was going on!?

Kiba paused to sniff the air, letting out a feral growl, before darting into an alleyway. Hinata rounded the corner, eager to catch up to her teammate. Eventually, she did. She wished she hadn't.

The Inuzuka was shaking with raw rage, his body barely able to contain his anger. They stood in a clearing behind some buildings, overfilling with trash.

Two people stood on the opposite side to them.

"You!" Kiba spat, baring his teeth and growling like a rabid dog.

A tall burly man with brown hair, stopped what he was doing, turning his animal like slit eyes upon Kiba. His face was, at first, contorted in confusion. It then changed to amusement. The two people both wore black cloaks with red clouds on them. Hinata had sworn she had seen them before, somewhere…

It was then she noticed the other person. A woman, her long dark hair billowing down her back. Her eyes were focused on Kiba at first, but then swiftly turned to Hinata. They froze on her, steeling.

Hinata knew those eyes, had looked into them many times. They belonged to something she had known all her life. They belonged to the Hyŭga clan.

Her body was frozen with fear, paralysed by fright. It refused to move, refused to act.

The taller man wolfishly grinned. "Hehe, hello Kiba."

Hinata wasn't focused on that any more on the interactions between her teammate and the other man. On Naruto, on her fathers disappointment with her, or her general uselessness. No, it was focused on the pale skinned, dark haired, lavender eyed woman in front of her.

She let out a shaky breath. "M-Mother?"

* * *

**Dun dun dun! :D.**

**Okay, so first off, these are two of some of the new Akatsuki OC's I have for this fic. Who was expecting this? Honestly, who was? Hinata's mother is a member of Akatsuki!? The hell!? :D.**

**Well, it's true. So, I can't wait to see your reactions.**

**I enjoyed writing this chapter. I've gotten some feedback saying that I need to focus more on descriptions of scenery and places, so I've hopefully done that. It was somewhat challenging, as description of places is not my strong point, but it was a good learning experience. Any constructive criticism would be helpful :).**

**I hope I'm portraying the relationship with Sasuke and Hinata as believable. They will never become a couple, at all. It's going to be NaruHina. But, I do enjoy writing these two. Honestly, though, my mind gets jumbled with the amount of stuff going on in this fic, so I may forget certain things. For example, Naruto's stupid reason for why Hinata doesn't like him. That may have been different than before, and if so, I'll go back and change it. I enjoyed writing the Ino segment with the craftsman as well. Kazai will come into play later on.**

**Too those wondering about Lee and Tenten, we'll get to see them in either the next chapter, or a couple of chapters. **

**Anyway, that's that! Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night! **


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello everybody and welcome to chapter twenty five of the Winds of Change! This chapter... Kami, I've never had this much trouble with a chapter before! I don't know why, but it took me freaking ages to type this out. It would just not stick, nothing would fit... eugh! Whatever, it doesn't matter now. It's out. It's done, it's over. Phew. Anyway, on another note, WE HAVE OVER 210 REVIEWS! SWEET ARCEUS as a friend would say. I cannot believe we've hit this many after only about a month or so since we hit 100. This is insane, thank you all so much! As I've said before, we'll do something special when we hit 250. Because, let's be honest, we should hit that soon. With your guys' support, we can't possibly fail! Anyway, this is a very fight orientated chapter. And, as you may have already guessed, I can't write fight scenes. But, what can you do? So, without further ado, I bring you chapter 25, of the Winds of Change.**

* * *

Chapter 25:

* * *

Hinata stood in utter fear. This… as her mother!? No, no, no! Her mother had left, she had died, she was dead! But this… it looked just like her. Every detail…

"Hinata." Hyouden muttered uninterested, turning her attention to her partner. "You know the other one?"

Garou grinned. "Sure do, this here's my pup!"

"I'm not your pup!" Kiba roared in anger. Garou chuckled, his posture relaxed.

"Look at the little puppy, trying to be the big strong alpha male."

Kiba bristled, his eyes becoming darker by the second.

Seconds ticked by in utter silence as the two opposing forces stared each other down. Hyouden's lavender eyes swept over Hinata. They looked uninterested. "It's been a while," she stated blandly.

"Y-you a-are d-dead-"

"That's what they told you? Hn, how pathetic. I defected."

"W-why? Yo-you had Father, a-and Hanabi, and-"

"You?" She scoffed loudly, "I only take the strong as family, Hinata. You were never strong."

The words cut into her like a hot knife through butter. Her mother, the one who had always said she was strong, was calling her weak and worthless. No, this wasn't her mother. She may look like her, sound like her, stand like her, and have the same eyes as her, but that was not Hinata's mother.

"You're not my mother."

Hyouden frowned. "Such confidence. Such a change in demeanour all of a sudden." Her eyes hardened even more, "And yet you still remain weak."

Hinata flinched. Hyouden picked up on that, and began her vicious barrage of words, "You can put up all the barricades you want. You can act all tough, and high and mighty. But, you're not. You're just a scared little girl. And one who is utter trash."

"Don't talk to her that way!"

Hyouden turned her withering gaze onto the seething Inuzuka, snorting in distaste. "You slaughter half your clan, and you leave this mutt behind? It seems both of our children are utterly worthless."

Kiba growled, dropping to his hands and knees. "That's it! Akamaru, let's go!"

Chucking the small dog a food pill, and swallowing one himself, they both powered up. Hyouden watched, amused. Akamaru turned into a full grown version of Kiba, and leapt atop the real one's back.

Garou guffawed, "You're using that basic technique! This is what your bitch of a mother has been teaching you."

Kiba saw red. "DON'T TALK ABOUT HER IN THAT WAY! FANG OVER FANG!"

The two now identical boys leapt into the air and began to spin rapidly, turning into grey typhoons. They speeded off towards Garou, tearing up the ground with their sheer turning speed.

"Hn," he muttered, reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a few capsules. He threw them on the ground just as the typhoons almost connected. There was an explosion of dust and earth, and Kiba and Akamaru were blown backwards. Akamaru returned to his original form, hitting a dumpster with a loud thud. Kiba himself splattered against a brick wall, causing a sizable crack. He was still conscious, and slumped onto his knees, breathing heavily. His ribs ached and burned.

"You'll have to be better than that, brat." Garou grinned wolfishly.

Kiba grimaced. He was fast. Letting out a low growl, he leapt to his feet and charged in once more. Colliding with his father's stomach, the Inuzuka quickly followed it up with a kick to the kneecap. However, Garou merely dodged, socking Kiba in the gut. He doubled over in pain, and received a knee in his face for his troubles. Blood splattered everywhere as he stumbled backwards, momentarily disoriented.

Hinata was still frozen to the spot, her gaze quickly flitting from the battle and to her mother.

Hyouden gave a disapproving frown. "Are you not going to help your teammate?"

The Hyŭga gave her mother a curious and horrified look. Hyouden growled. "I won't interfere, if you impress me. Show me how far you've come in your training!"

Hinata eeped, and turned to assess the battle. Things were certainly not going in Kiba's favour. With Akamaru still out cold, Kiba was forced to use the Inuzuka style of Taijutsu. This mainly consisted of grapples, punches and throws. It was all about the strength. Kiba was a big guy, no doubt about it. But his father towered at a massive 6'8, and was far stronger than most.

Garou grasped Kiba's fist as he went to swing for him, giving it an crushing squeeze. Kiba cried out in pain, his hand being broken and crushed with every passing second.

Hinata was soon there, her palm outstretched. Garou leapt backwards in time to avoid the Jyuuken strike, releasing Kiba's hand. The Hyŭga grimaced as soon as she saw it. The hand would be useless, contorted in an unnatural angle and crushed.

"So you're Hyouden's little girl, eh?" Garou questioned, flexing. Hinata turned to him, trying her hardest to steel herself. She could feel her mother's cold gaze. Studying her. Watching her. Evaluating her.

Why did this make her feel so self-conscious? So weak? She had to be strong to push back these missing ninja… and yet she could still feel those lavender eyes boring into her side. She pushed back the wave of anxiety and fear that swept over her, and steeled herself outwardly.

Giving a bark of laughter, Garou dropped to his hands and knees. "She's cute, you know?" he addressed Hyouden, "Very curvaceous. If she were a few years older and I were a few years younger… Nah, I prefer my women with a bit of bite to them." He showed off his sharpened teeth, "She's far too timid for my liking. Shame. A pretty little thing. This your little girlfriend, Kibbles?"

Kiba bared his own teeth, slowly making his way upwards. He winced in pain as he tried to flex his crushed hand.

"Aw, how cute. Young love. If there is one thing I do enjoy about love, it's breaking it apart!"

With a roar, he leapt forward like a pouncing lion.

Hinata quickly turned around, grabbed Kiba's hand, and leapt out of the way. Garou used his arms and legs to stop himself from hurtling into the wall, before leaping off it to go after Hinata and Kiba.

Having leapt out the way, Hinata swiftly withdrew a kunai from her pouch and sent it towards Garou. The burly man twisted in mid-leap, effortlessly dodging the projectile. With a strangled cry, the Inuzuka's full force crashed into the Hyŭga's back, sending her flying forward. She collided with the ground and rolled, her head spinning.

Kiba had been left on the ground, his anger still growing stronger. "You bastard!" He stood upwards, reaching with his good hand for a kunai, and swiping at Garou. The burly Inuzuka swatted away the weapon. The clang of the metal on the floor woke Kiba up, so to speak. He was fiercely out-matched, and he saw that now. He was an idiot for running in and attacking his father head on!

"You never were a thinker, Kiba," his father said, reaching into his pouch. "Stopping and thinking about things while facing your enemy is a good way to get killed!" Before Kiba could move, a thick purple powder was flung into his eyes. Letting out a cry of horror, his eyes began to sting violently. Garou's sharp bark of laughter even overshadowed the screams of agony. "Don't worry kid, the stingin' will stop soon."

A hand clamped around his throat, and lifted him high into the air. Kiba fought harshly for air, kicking and wrestling, his hands trying feebly to get Garou to release his grip.

Garou licked his lips in anticipation, but soon let out a sharp scream of pain as Akamaru's teeth sunk into his skin. With a roar of annoyance, he let go of Kiba, who soon began gasping for air, and smashed his palm onto the skull of Akamaru, knocking him unconscious.

"Was that your ninken, hm?" Garou mockingly asked. Kiba growled ferally, the pain in his eyes still as strong as ever. It was debilitating. However, through the pain, it had helped somewhat clear Kiba's mind. As much as horrible scorching pain could. A plan had formed in his head. All he needed was a suitable distraction…

Hinata was right on cue, whether she knew it or not, her palm outstretched. Garou twisted his body around, dodging the blow with ease, and went to retaliate with one of his own. Hinata was far more graceful than he, and managed to dodge and weave her way through his lumbering assault.

Eventually, the pain began to stop, and his the blurriness of his eyes was beginning to fade slowly. Hinata was helping him more than she knew.

With his good hand, he carefully reached into his pouch, fumbling through his items until he felt the small glass case. The blurriness had now all together faded, replaced with a sharp contrast of colours as his eyes adjusted back to seeing. Hinata was managing to keep Garou distracted, but she couldn't keep it up for long. With the Inuzuka's fierce style of attacking, Hinata had no way of countering, and was forced to keep up the defensive. Eventually she would be caught and badly injured. He needed to act now.

His eyes flitted to the unconscious form of Akamaru, and grimaced. Asshole. He would pay for that.

He opened the glass case, and took out one of two purple pills. Slipping one into Akamaru's mouth, he quickly swallowed the other one.

The explosion of chakra took both Hinata and Garou by surprise, causing Hinata to slip and get caught by Garou's fist to the stomach. The Inuzuka didn't have time to take advantage, as he sensed a massive amount of chakra coming his way.

Kiba was now a powerful force of pure purple chakra that radiated off him. His appearance had changed to be more beast-like, his eyes becoming yellow like slits, teeth growing to sharpened sizes, and his nails becoming claws. He was on his hands and knees, baring his sharpened teeth. "Beast Mimicry, Shadow of the Wolf!"

Garou whistled in amusement. "Well damn, didn't have that back when I was around."

Kiba snarled loudly, bounding forward. Garou went to leap out the way, but found he couldn't. A sharp jolt of pain through both his knees froze him in place. Cursing that Hyŭga girl as she rolled out the way, he could only think for a split-second before Kiba barreled into him. They both crashed through the wall of a shop, sending the shelves tumbling in a heap of plaster and break. As they flew, they both landed just before they crashed through the front window of the shop. Using the momentum of Kiba's tackle, Garou used both his legs and pushed off Kiba, sending him flying through the window and through the wall of another building. He righted himself, and just managed to flip backwards to avoid another gargantuan mass of purple chakra. Akamaru was surrounded by an almost armour like chakra, turning his petite form into that of a giant purple wolf. Garou smirked in amusement, before dodging another charge from the empowered dog.

Hinata watched through the towering hole as the two shinobi and ninken did battle, both dodging each others animalistic blows. Kiba was faster and stronger than before, his fists now cracking the earth with their sheer sound of people screaming and running away from the fight filled her ears, and she went to run and help them. A sharp searing pain coursed through her shoulder, and she was soon clutching her ribs in pain. Hyouden stood behind her, a look of distaste set upon her features. "How weak," she spat, picking Hinata up by her hair,and striking her in the chest with her palm. She flew through the hole, landing with a thud on the ground outside the shop.

Kiba dodged another of Garou's blows, following it up with a strike of his own. Akamaru then leapt forward, leaping onto the Inuzuka and wrestling with him. Given a momentary reprieve, Kiba's eyes snapped to Hinata's prone form on the ground. He snarled, his eyes snapping to Hyouden as she walked calmly through the destruction to her daughter.

An explosion ripped sent a shockwave towards Kiba, knocking him backwards. He twisted himself in the air, landing on his hands and feet. Garou stood, his foot planted atop Akamaru's prone head. He grinned, pressing down his boot on Akamaru, causing the dog to whimper in pain. Kiba bounded forward, hell-bent on tearing a chunk out of his father. "I'll kill you!"

Garou made a simple hand sign. Kiba saw the glow of the explosive tags, but his body was already sailing over them. There would be no time to react. The explosions ripped through the air, sending Kiba hurtling backwards, his chest seared and burnt. The purple chakra dispersed from his body as he landed, unconscious on the floor.

Hinata gasped in fear as she rose upwards. Kiba and Akamaru were both out cold, leaving her to face down the two Akatsuki members.

"Attack!"

Guards swarmed the area, swinging their swords to injure the two Akatsuki. Hyouden scowled in annoyance, before he blurred out of Hinata's vision. The guards began dropping like flies, gurgling and spitting up blood. Soon the fifty or so force of guards had been reduced to nothing. Hyouden looked over her handiwork, her lavender eyes locking back on her main target. Hinata gulped.

She felt the presence of another, and looked upwards to reveal Garou, a lecherous smirk plastered on his face.

She knew what was coming; her inevitable death. It was over. However, her heart leapt when she heard a very distinctive cry. "YOSH!"

Gai blurred into the street, kicking Garou back through the hole in the shop, sending him crashing through another building. "Dynamic Entry!"

With a beaming smile and a thumbs up, he exclaimed. "It is I, The Green Beast of Konoha, Might Gai!"

Hyouden blinked. "Might Gai… Taijutsu master of the Leaf Village. A blithering idiot, but a strong one at that."

She heard the approach for more guards, and cursed. She would never reach the Uzumaki boy with both the guard of the city and Might Gai after her.

"We will not fight today Green Beast of Konoha."

Gai's face contorted in a frown. "I cannot let you escape Akatsuki."

Akatsuki? Hinata's brow furrowed. What was the Akatsuki?

"You won't have a choice. See you later Mebana." Hinata's breath hitched at her old nickname her mother used to call her. There was a flash of bright light, that lasted for only a few seconds, before it was gone. And so was her mother. Part of Hinata felt relief that the battle was over. And yet, a bigger part of her felt that she was a failure. She couldn't impress her father, nor her mother, nor her sister. What else did that leave? Nothing. And she was just that. Nothing.

* * *

Ino let out a puff of air as she continued on her quest. Right now she was sick and tired of looking for Gai-sensei. Nobody was at the coordinates that Kurenai-sensei gave her, and she had been waiting for a while. She sighed. Was it seriously so hard to meet at the meeting point!?

Grumbling to herself, she dodged and weaved out of the now thinning crowds. She estimated it was about two-PM, from what she could gather from the sun's position. If she couldn't find them within the hour, she would head back to the inn.

Before she could react, a little boy ran into her side, causing her to stumble into somebody. Apologizing profusely, she went to scold the boy. He had already ran off into the crowd, laughing as he clutched a straw doll in his hand. She smiled. The days when she could play with dolls. Running her hand over the wooden kunai in her pocket, Ino continued on her way. She watched the little boys progress as he somehow managed to dart from within the crowds, while also animatedly talking to the little straw doll. She overheard some of the conversation by straining her ears with chakra. "-I think mummy will be happy me, you and papa made that scarf for her, Kakashi."

Ino snorted. She could imagine a Kakashi-sensei doll... and a Gai-sensei one... Hm, interesting.

She followed him for a while, smiling as he continued to chatter away. It was cute and endearing, she missed being around children. She loved playing around her little cousins. But, she supposed she should keep an eye out of Gai-sensei...

Pausing briefly as the boy stopped at a vendor, she ran a hand through her hair. She had about half an hour left before she would head back. The platinum blonde smiled happily as the boy handed the vendor some money and in return was handed a ginger-bread man. The boy beamed happily, "Thank you mister!" he yelled, taking a bite out of is food, Kakashi the straw doll hanging limply at his side.

He turned around, and walked off. Ino decided to stop following him. While he was cute, she was sure she was getting a little bit stalkerish. She frowned, however, when the boy paused for a moment, turned his head to face an alley, and slowly stalked into it. What was he going to do in there? She took a step forward, but her gaze was momentarily distracted. A group of people, a few years younger than her, barreled through the crowd, the town guard hot on their heels. One of them, a boy, with shining silver hair turned and winked at her. "Hey there good lookin'," he greeted swiftly, stopping for a moment. She blushed indignantly, and she noticed the only female of the group, for some reason wearing a maids costume, smack him over the head. Ino watched as they ran, and just shook her head. Kids would be kids, right?

Her mind so wrapped around the fact that, for some reason, the boy had yet to leave the alley. It could have been open ended, and led onto another street, but a niggling feeling in the back of her mind worried her. She took off towards the alley. Eventually she reached the mouth, and peered in. She could feel a slight disturbance of chakra. She focused, and said "Kai." The illusion released. What she saw made her blood run cold.

The boy's straw doll lay on the ground, covered with blood. And lots of it. The blood caked the floor, and the walls. She forced back a gag. Footprints led from the pool, and ended with the boys limp body. A lumbering man towered over it, with a wide berth and shapeless face. He gnawed through the cloth of the boys clothes, and ripped into his flesh, letting out a pleasurable moan. Ino noticed the man was eating the boys arm. The arm that had been ripped from the boys corpse.

She couldn't believe her eyes. This... was horrific. Monstrous! Horrifying. The boy she had been watching had bright exuberant green eyes. They were now dull, and jaded. She let out the smallest of screams, immediately covering her mouth.

Big brown eyes soon reached her own blue ones. Blood dripped from the man's teeth, his face a mixture of dirt, and wetness. His hair was damp and disgusting, filled with all manner of lice and other insects. He wore overalls that one would mostly see on a farmer. It looked like he had been in a slaughterhouse, however. What horrified Ino the most, however, was the big, wide, innocent smile he greeted her with. "Hello! Bobo likes new friends!"

Ino began backing away in fear, her whole body shaking. She wanted to scream, run, through up, cry, curl into a ball and go to sleep, never to wake up. She wanted this to end, to stop. What had she witnessed, something so vile and disgusting. This... thing was a monster!

"You si-sick bastard..." She trailed off, her voice shaking as much as her body. Bobo took a long sniff of the air, his hand grasping at the boys chest. He pushed his hand in with a loud squelch, taking a handful of flesh and intestines and stuffing them into his mouth, chewing them with vigor. "Es berry tastet!" He called out, skin falling out of his mouth as he spoke. He reached into the boy's stomach, yanking out another bunch of intestines. Bobo swallowed his snack, licking his lips with glee as he extended his hand. "Bobo is always told to share. Would you like some of Bobo's snack?"

Ino couldn't take anymore, she bent down and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the concrete floor. Bobo cocked his head to the side as she retched. "Pretty friend not want any of Bobo's dinner? Okay, more for Bobo." He stuffed the rest into his mouth.

Ino wiped her own mouth, trying to get the bile off her face. She felt a little better, but this sadistic bastard... She reached for a kunai from her pouch. "You sick bastard!"

She threw the kunai. Bobo knocked it away with his hand, his eyes laundering over Ino's form. "Bobo would like another meal. Bobo is hungry." He licked his lips. "Bobo wants food!"

Without warning, Bobo charged at a speed that should have been illegal for a man of his stature. The air was knocked out of her lungs, and she was sure a rib was broken as Ino was thrown backwards, colliding with another wall. People all around her gasped, screaming obscenities as some looked down the alley. A mad panic soon began, people pushing and shoving to get away from Bobo, as he inched ever closer to Ino. With that wide, innocent smile.

She slowly stood upwards, using the wall for support. "Bobo wants to be friends," the wide man sounded torn," But Bobo is so hungry..."

Ino quickly reached into her pouch, thrusting a kunai at the man's shoulder. It connected, blood spurting out of the wound. Bobo simply turned, and cocked his head to the side. "Girl hurt Bobo?"

Ino shook with fear. He didn't even flinch!

"Bobo hurt girl!"

Bobo viciously backhanded the Yamanaka, spinning her around. The world was spinning. The large Kumo nin grasped at her ponytail, yanking her upright. She let out a sharp scream of pain. "Bobo and girl could have been friends!" He twisted his body around and threw. Ino connected with another wall, her back burning with pain. She coughed heavily. "But girl had to attack Bobo with pointy thing! Now Bobo crush girl's skull!"

The gargantuan nin was soon looming over her downed form, raising his large foot. Ino's eyes widened. She lifted her hands to block her face from Bobo's foot as it came crashing down. She envisioned chakra coating Bobo's foot. With an angry scream, she pushed as much chakra as she could. A blue glow covered Bobo's foot, and with a surge of chakra he was launched backwards, crashing through a wall of a shop.

Ino scrambled to her feet, looking around hastily before darting off in some random direction. She couldn't get the sight of that boys cold dead eyes. And that wide, innocent smile.

* * *

"Gai-sensei! Gai-sensei!"

Gai's head whipped around, the unconscious form of Hinata thrown over his shoulder. Beside him, Tenten's eyes widened. "Ino?"

With tears streaming down her face, Ino flung herself at Gai's feet. "G-Gai-sensei, I need... I need..."

Gai quickly handed Hinata over to a shocked Shizune, bending down and placing a reassuring hand on Ino's shoulder. "It's okay Ino, it's alright. Tell me what happened."

Ino began her horrible tale of how she found the boy, broken, battered and bloody, and fought with the man. Gai stayed unnaturally quiet throughout it all, his mouth curling into a frown. Ino broke down in tears after she finished her story, and with another reassuring pat on her shoulder, Gai stood up. Turning to Shizune with serious eyes, he stated. "Stay here with the girls. I'll go investigate."

The Medic Nin nodded, reaching forward to take Ino's hand and lead her away. The group was wholed up currently in a small abandoned building right in the centre of town. Shizune and Gai both agreed that, if the Akatsuki were to follow them, they would find their actual base, which would be horrible news. Kiba was inside, resting. He had lost quite a lot of chakra, and received multiple injuries.

Hinata herself was actually okay. A few bruises, but nothing major. Shizune and Tenten led Ino into the small building, Hinata being helped up by the two of them. Gai grimaced, before he darted off.

* * *

It was not long before he arrived back, his face grim. Shizune greeted him with a grim frown of her own. "How are they?" he asked.

"Kiba is stabilized, he should be waking up soon. Hinata is awake, but still rather tired. She seems to be in shock. Ino is... fragile, at best. I'll give her a full check-up once we're back at base."

"Thank you Shizune."

"What did you find," the brunette asked hesitantly. Gai's face contorted with an unknown emotion.

"Blood. Lot's of it. No sign of the man or the boy. From what Ino is saying though..." he trailed off uncertainly. "What do you know of the Hitokui clan?"

Shizune bit her lip. "Nothing really."

"I envy you," Gai replied honestly, running a hand through his bowl-cut hair, "The Hitokui clan are some of the most barbaric human beings you could ever meet. They force feed their babies flesh and intestines of animals and humans alike. Almost all of the children die. So, they're kept in cages, forced to breed like rabbits. Only the strongest babies survive. Some say it's a kekkei genkai that keeps them alive, I'm not sure. In any case, they grow up always hunting for flesh, always hungry. And they never, ever stop. Ino's lucky to have survived."

Shizune bowed her head. "I'm sorry, I should have informed you earlier. There have been... killings around the town in the dead of night. Someone has been eating people, bones, flesh and intestines."

Gai nodded. "I see."

"I'm sorry."

"Do not worry Shizune, it was not your fault." He smiled brightly at her. "Come now, our flames of youth may have dimmed, but not for long! Yosh!"

Shizune smiled, as Gai darted past her to greet his charges. She would never, ever understand that man.

* * *

The fountain exploded in a mass of stone and water as a chain shot forward. Sasuke quickly shoved Naruto out of the way, the chain crashing into his shoulder. With a cry of pain he flew backwards, twisting into the dirt. A deep laugh came from within the smoke.

A man with long dark brown hair stepped out, his forest green eyes watching with amusement as Naruto leapt to his feet. He held a long, thick chain in his hand, twisting it around his head like a lasso. A Kumo headband rested around his neck. He smirked. "How pathetic." He spoke with a regal tone of voice, "They send children now on rescue missions? How unproductive."

Naruto grimaced. "Who the hell do you think you are!?"

The man laughed, his chain sparking slightly. "I am Lord Kan. You're superior in every single way."

Naruto made a handsign. "You're not superior to me, I'll show you! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Six Naruto's appeared in a puff of smoke, charging forward at a breakneck pace. Kan snorted, whipping his chain. The surged forward, dispelling the clones with a puff of smoke. "This is what I have to contend with. I am your better, brat. You are weak and impotent. I should cut you down where you stand!"

Kurenai dashed out from behind a building, throwing a wave of kunai. Kan blocked them effortlessly, sending his chain once more to lash out. Kurenai dodged it, back flipping, before she rushed forward. Reaching Kan, she lashed out with her fist. The ninja ducked underneath it, pulling his chain back towards him. Realising what he was doing, Kurenai leapt into the air, dodging it. Or, she hoped. The chain shot up as soon as it reached it's wielder, curling around the Genjutsu Mistresses' legs. Sending a burst of chakra through the chain, Kan watched in amusement as Kurenai's body spasmed, and locked up. Whipping the chain forward, Kurenai crashed into the dirt.

"Kurenai-sensei!" Naruto called. Sasuke rushed past him, hands weaving through signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A ball of fire erupted from Sasuke's mouth, scorching the ground and hurtling towards Kan. Retracting his chain from Kurenai's legs, he merely leapt to the side. The ball of fire surged past him, connecting and setting a building aflame. "Sasuke, be careful!" Kurenai called, trying fruitlessly to make her legs work. Whatever this 'Kan' had done, it had paralysed her for the time being.

Sasuke grimaced. He couldn't be super offensive without damaging the environment. His gaze swept around, noticing the crowd of civilians that had gathered to watch.

By now the former monumental water fountain was now nothing more than stone scattered about the square. Benches lay overturned, dirty and rock littering the area. Water spurted from the ground, coating it. Kan smirked gloriously. "I'll give you a little lesson in chakra. You see, lightning conducts through water!" His hands whirred, making hand signs. "Lightning Style: Voltage Jutsu!"

Bolts of lightning shot out of Kan's hands, electrocuting the water. Sasuke leapt backwards onto a nearby rock to avoid the electricity, but had to dodge when Kan's chain shot forward, obliterating the rock.

Sending out another fireball, Sasuke ducked behind the rock that Naruto had ran too. "We need a plan." He stated quietly. Naruto nodded.

"Yeah!"

Sasuke let out a low growl. What an idiot. "Dobe, be quiet!" he hissed.

Naruto grinned. "Sorry Sasuke, you were saying?"

"We need to find a way of getting past his defences. We should use that Fuuma Shuriken strategy when we fought Zabuza."

Naruto nodded exuberantly. "I'll go and distract him with a Fireball Jutsu. You transform into the shuriken." With another nod, Sasuke raced out from behind the rock and fired off another Fireball. Kan's chain formed a dome around him, the ball of fire clashing with the lightning conducting metal. There was a blast, covering the area in smoke.

Naruto went to do as he was told, but paused. Why should he just create one shuriken. If he himself transformed into the Fuuma Shuriken, he could then transform his clones into other smaller shuriken...

A plan forming in his head, Naruto made the hand signs for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Whispering it under his breath, twenty clones appeared. He swiftly made them henge into three shuriken each. He nodded to himself, before leaping into the air and turning himself into the Fuuma Shuriken. The smoke had finally cleared as Sasuke caught the weapon in mid-air. Twisting around, he threw all his might. It sped forward, but Kan's chain was faster. He deflected it just in the nick of time, sending it veering off course. Naruto poofed into existence, as did a whole bunch of smaller shuriken that immediately shot forward. Sasuke's eyes widened. This wasn't part of the plan!

Kan easily deflected them with his chain, before sending it flying outwards. It caught Naruto square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him, and sending him flying backwards.

Kan laughed loudly and clearly. "You fools! Your teamwork is appalling! I mean, really, using shadow clones to make shuriken? Ha! I could see you so clearly through the smoke it wasn't even funny. What a ridiculous orange getup!"

Sasuke growled. "Naruto, you idiot! Why didn't you stick to the plan!?"

Naruto leapt up. "Teme, your plan sucked! I made it better!"

"It would have worked you Dobe! Why couldn't you have just trusted me on this!?"

"Since when have you ever trusted me with anything, anyway! You steal Sakura, you steal Hinata-"

"Wait, what!? What the hell are you going on about you stupid bastard!? I didn't-"

Sasuke quickly substituted with a random rock just in time as a spear of lightning shattered it into pieces.

"How pathetic! Arguing in the middle of a battle! That'll cost your teacher her life!"

Kurenai was still paralysed, struggling with all her might to get her body to move. Kan's chain hit the water, sending a bolt of electricity towards the downed Genjutsu Mistress. She closed her eyes, ready for the shock. She felt herself being thrown into the air, however. Naruto spasmed as the lightning hit him, and he poofed away. Kurenai sighed in relief, and felt arms around her. Another Naruto landed on the ground safely, shooting her a foxy grin. "Hehe, sorry that was so close Kurenai-sensei! It won't happen again!" With a salute, the clone poofed out of existence.

Sasuke, meanwhile, had charged Kan with a kunai. Attacking him long range was proving useless, so short range would have to do. Somehow taking the nin by surprise, Sasuke got in a swipe with his weapon. It nicked Kan's cheek, but that was about it. Kan's chain was rather useless at short range, and a Taijutsu battle began. He was obviously not proficient in hand to hand combat, as Sasuke swiftly gained the upper hand with a well placed kick to the ribs. Kan gasped and was sent stumbling back.

The Uchiha quickly made some hand signs and gathered chakra for the Chidori. The bright blue light enveloped his hands as the sound of birds chirping filled the air. Sasuke heard cheers from the crowd of civilians that had stayed to watch the fight. They should have gone to hide! Or go get the guard, or something!

Still, it didn't matter now, he was taking this guy down!

"Chidori!" With a cry of rage, Sasuke charged. He didn't get very far as Kan's chain shot into the ground, before shooting back out behind Sasuke. It yanked around his throat, stopping his advancement, and choking him. Sasuke's Chidori dissipated, and he clawed furiously at the chain.

"How impotent. This is the Uchiha clan? I've seen more worthy blood in rodents!"

Sasuke's sharingan spun with rage, catching Kan in a quick genjutsu as their eyes met. The chain's hold slackened, and he managed to slip out. Kan broke out of the genjutsu quickly, ready to catch Sasuke in his chain's hold once more. However, soon the world began to look watery, as it if the very environment itself was slowly running down the proverbial canvas.

Kurenai got out of her crouching position, letting out a breath of relief. Thank Kami the paralysation wore off. "Sasuke, now!"

The Uchiha nodded, his pinwheel eyes spinning rapidly. "This is the power of the Uchiha! Chidori!"

With the roars of the excited crowd cheering him on, Sasuke raced forward, the blue lightning chakra in his hand ready to pierce some stomachs.

However, fate would not allow it. Something leapt from the earth behind Kan, tearing it in two. Dirt and earth sprung up as a large figure gripped Kan's waist and leapt upwards. Sasuke's Chidori just narrowly missed anything vital, just leaving a deep scratch on Kan's side.

The large figure leapt to the top of a tall building, placing a panting Kan down. "I underestimated you, Uchiha. That will not happen again." His regal voice rang clear throughout the square, enrapturing the crowds attention. "However, you can't save them all!"

With a handsign the Kumo nin fired a large bolt of lightning into the water. It headed straight towards the civilian bystanders. Before they would even have a chance to run it would be upon them. And they would be dead.

Sasuke's body moved on it's own, his hands blurring through hand signs. He intercepted the lightning, his own hand crackling with a Chidori. Kurenai and Naruto watched in amazement as he used his own lightning chakra to absorb the bolt. He grimaced, his arm painfully burned, but he had saved them. That was all that mattered.

"Help, we need some help over here!"

Sasuke's head snapped backwards. A little girl was stuck under a large rock, people trying to lift it, but to no avail. Sasuke took one last look at Kan, his thought whirling. Should he go after him? Should he help the civilians? With a begrudging noncommittal sound, he turned and began to walk towards the girl.

"What's the matter little boy, giving up?" Kan's voice angered the Uchiha, but he stood steadfast. He had to save this girl-

"If you can't even catch me, how to do expect to catch your big brother?"

Sasuke saw red, spinning around and charging forward. How dare he!

Kan merely laughed. "You fool of an Uchiha!"

The end of his chain shot from where it lay upon the ground, entering Kan's hand. He pushed some lightning chakra into it, and it began to spark.

Sasuke could only turn his head. His eyes widened in horror. The chain's other end lay in a pool of water. The pool led to where the little girl lay under a rock.

"No!" Sasuke called out in fear, ready to dart back. He was too far away. Naruto was too far away. And so was Kurenai.

Sasuke watched as the group trying to help the girl spasmed uncontrollably, thousands of volts coursing through their veins. They soon slumped to the ground, heavily burnt. And the little girl's whole body was laying in the pool. She was a figure of burnt flesh and blood. Nothing more.

Sasuke felt his heart pounding. This was... it reminded him of that night... that horrible, horrible night. His legs lost all feeling as he tumbled to the ground, darkness slipping over him. The last thing he saw were a pair of cerulean blue eyes, and striking blonde hair.

* * *

**Sasuke's not dead, stop celebrating. He's just unconscious, shook and all that. Not much to say here, really. Chapter was a pain in the ass to write, so happy it's over. Next chapter will be a bit of a catch-up with Sakura and Tali. It'll be shorter, so you'll get it by next weekend, and hopefully I'll be able to get back to my once a week updating schedule. Thanks for reading, make sure you review and let me know your thoughts! Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello everybody and welcome back to chapter twenty-six of the Winds of Change! This chapter was rather easy to hammer out, and it's obviously very short, for good reason. A few people have been wondering about Sakura and Tali, so I thought I would divulge some information on them. I enjoyed writing this chapter, it was a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoy it too. So, I present you with chapter 26, of the Winds of Change.**

* * *

Chapter 26:

* * *

Sakura chewed her nails. It was a nervous habit of hers that she had picked up over the course of her capture. It helped calm her nerves. She estimated it was quite late at night, for Tali was snuggled up on her bed. How she remained content she would never know. Sakura studied her.

Tali had still refused to tell her what she was looking for when they snuck out that day. While annoying, and as much as the pinkette pestered, she refused to budge. She pressed her head against the cold stone wall. She was sure that Naruto and Sasuke were coming for her. Absolutely sure. She was their teammate, they wouldn't just leave her. Letting out a puff of air, she resolved to do some stretches.

Her newly found blonde friend had told her straight. She was a rather suckish ninja. One day Tali had simply walked up, and kicked her in the stomach. She stated that Sakura needed to be faster, and that they would train in Taijutsu. She explained she was nowhere near proficient at it, but practice would help both of them. And so they had trained until their bones ached, and they simply couldn't go on any longer. They had toned it down a bit since then, considering they both refused to move for at least twelve or so hours, but it was still exhausting. Tali had explained that morning and nighttime stretches made you much better at Taijutsu, so she did just that. Only five or so minutes of stretching, tops, and she was already a little better at Taijutsu. She was faster, and more agile.

Tali had explained (which she seemed to be doing a lot) that Kunoichi like herself were often trained in more acrobatic Taijutsu. However, being confined to such a small space as a holding cell left much to be desired. So, they mainly focused on twisting their bodies to avoid each others blows.

She stretched for the designated time limit, and clenched her fist. Now what was she supposed to do.

There was a loud piercing knock at the door. Sakura's emerald gaze swept towards the door as it swung open. The man who had kidnapped her stood in the doorway, his clothed eyes boring into her body. "Get the other girl up," he commanded Sakura.

With a hesitant nod, she slowly shook Tali awake. Light blue eyes locked with green, before she turned to the light coming from the doorway, covering her face with her hand. "Five more minutes?"

Joukei was on her faster than Sakura could blink. She was shoved roughly to the side, her lower back hitting her bed. Joukei's hands gripped around Tali's neck, squeezing hard. "Listen here bitch!" he spat, "You're coming with me whether you want too or not!"

Lifting her up by the hair, he deftly punched her in the gut, and threw her over his shoulder. He shot a warning glare towards Sakura, or what she assumed was a warning glare. I'll be coming to collect you soon, too.

And he left, shutting the door and the rays of light off. And slowly, but surely, Sakura's eyes began to close without her body's consent.

* * *

Kabuto hummed to himself. Oh, a medics work was never done. The door to the extremely dark room swung open with a loud clang. Joukei walked in, giving the barest of nods towards Kabuto, Tali slung over his shoulder. "Put her down on that table," he commanded. Joukei did as asked, dropping her onto the metallic table none too nicely. He restrained her quickly, before leaving without saying a word.

Kabut tsked. Orochimaru really needed to hire better help these days. And then he remembered this wasn't Orochimaru's operation. He was merely here to help out and act as a diplomat of sorts.

Pulling down on the light switch a dim bulb flickered to life, illuminating the room in a whitish glow. Behind Kabuto was a dark door.

The Sound Nin briskly walked over to Tali. "You can stop feigning unconscious now."

One of Tali's eyes opened. "You're a sharp one."

"Hn," was his reply. "We have things to discuss."

"I'm not telling you anything about Itachi-sensei."

Kabuto's brow quirked. "Are you sure? You could tell me all his secrets, all the ways of beating your little teammates until they can't get up anymore."

They stared defiantly at one another for a few moments, before Kabuto sighed in mock sadness. "Fine, fine. I'll just have to extract the truth from you."

He turned briskly, and walked off. Opening the dark door, he slipped inside of the blackness. The lights went off. Tali could hear something leaking into the room, some gas. She blacked out.

When she awoke, everything was so fuzzy, and weird. The colours of the room changed from purple to orange to green to blue! A voice called out to her, all distorted and deep. "What's your name?"

"Tali." Her voice replied. It wasn't even like it was her voice, like she was watching some girl from afar as the colours danced.

"Excellent. Who is your sensei?"

"Itachi."

The voice hummed. "Good, good. Now, tell me, how would you take down the tall girl on your team. Kura, isn't it?"

Tali went to answer, but she forcefully stopped herself. No! She couldn't reveal information about her team, not now! Not when they were so close! She needed to change the subject, tell the truth about something, anything.

"I'm scared," her voice was timid and quiet, but it was hers. "I'm not confident, I'm not. I don't know if sensei will be able to rescue me, to beat the Akatsuki. I don't know if I ever will get out of this place. If I'll ever see the sunlight, or feel the rain, or snow." She was slowly reducing to tears. "Every night when Sakura sleeps I cry. I'm scared, I can't look after her. I can barely look after myself. I try to be confident, but..." she sobbed quietly.

This continued for another twenty minutes, with the voice constantly asking her questions. She never replied, and just kept crying. And, before she knew it, there was darkness.

* * *

Kabuto sighed in frustration. His questions had not gotten through to her. Instead she had latched onto her fear. Part of him wanted to break her more, make her a quivering wreck for the rest of her days. He had work to do, though, and she would be dead soon enough.

He was rather impressed for how well his special gas worked. By combining hallucinogens and a special truth telling serem, it allowed anybody to extract information out of their subject. While a few kinks needed to be worked out, he was sure Tali had undergone psychological training from Itachi to rebuff these kinds of things. He smiled. As Joukei entered the room, and slung Tali over his shoulder, he began to hum. Tali may have had training, but Sakura certainly wouldn't have.

* * *

Sakura awoke strapped to a metal table, arms and legs restrained, a dim light bulb flickering. The room was an almost sterile white colour. Kabuto stood before her, his grey hair in it's usual ponytail. He looked positively evil.

"Kabuto?"

"Hello Sakura. How're you today? Doing well?"

"Screw you asshole."

Kabuto chuckled. "My my, what are you, the life and soul of the team. Wait, that's Naruto. Okay, how about the silent enigma. Oh, wait, that's Sasuke. How about the lazy guardian-oh, wait, that's Kakashi, isn't it." He tapped his nose. "Ah, but just wait one more moment, you're the booksmart girl who always needs to be saved. The damsel in distress right?"

Sakura couldn't meet his eyes. The Sound Ninja merely shook his head.

Without warning, he produced a kunai from his sleeve, slashing it across Sakura's leg. She cried out in pain. "Finally, the sound we always hear you make. Pain, suffering, 'I'm not good enough, Sasuke, Naruto, come help me!'"

The kunai is pressed against her cheek. "Y-you can't kill me," she stuttered weekly.

"Oh, I know. I never said about killing you." A small trail of blood rolled down the side of her face. Kabuto, with an evil smirk, pulled the kunai back, slipping it back up his sleeve.

"You're far too valuable to be killed, Miss Haruno. In fact, you are more valuable than you know."

Sakura frowned. She understood this was a trap, a trap in order to lure Naruto and Sasuke here, for some reason. Sasuke she could understand, but Naruto? She just felt like he had to be involved.

"Orochimaru-sama is just as interested in you as he is Naruto and Sasuke. You have a very particular gift, one that we shall unlock, hopefully. But, first, questions. Why don't you tell me all about your teacher and your teammates? All their weaknesses, hm?"

Sakura did the most dignified thing she could think of. She spat at him.

Kabuto's cocky grin soon morphed into an annoyed frown. Wiping the spittle from his glasses, he sighed. "Such a shame, Miss Haruno, such a shame." He violently lashed out with his fist. The crack of her jaw echoed through the room, before her head slumped forward.

Kabuto mentally scolded himself. He had to interrogate her! With a sigh, he turned around and walked through the door that led to the other room. He came back out a moment later, a needle in hand, filled with a thick green liquid. He spent a few moments examining Sakura's arm, cleaning it softly with some cotton wool, before he jabbed the needle into her. He watched as the liquid went into her bloodstream. This would be interesting. The results would vary, of course. She could possibly die. But, she could also possibly live. And two things could come out of that. She could remain normal, and then simply be killed when the time was right. Or, Sakura Haruno could live, and have discovered what lies within her. DNA was a powerful tool. And, in Orochimaru's masterful hands, he could make it into any shape he wanted. And do anything he wanted.

* * *

Kabuto smiled at the results of his interrogation. After healing her broken jaw so she could speak, he had filled up the room with truth-telling gas. Now firmly and safely behind the locked one way mirror, he had asked her all manner of questions. And the Leaf Kunoichi answered them easily. He learned everything he could about Sasuke and Naruto's fighting style, as well as Kakashi's. While obviously not the most physical of people, she was very analytically He had over four pages of notes. How Sasuke and Naruto struggled to work together as a cohesive unit, and how Kakashi had yet to teach them anything worthy of note.

"What a good girl you've been, Miss Haruno."

"Woah! I like birds!" Sakura crooned. Kabuto merely shook his head. He watched on with slight concern, however, as her body began spasming. It seemed the serum was already working, good. Her face was contorted with pain, and stayed like that for the longest time, before she finally relaxed. After a few long moments, she whispered, "That was the best swing I've ever been on." And then she burst into loud uproarious laughter.

Good to see she was in such high spirits, despite things.

However, throughout the interrogation she had expressed the need to grow stronger and acquire more power. This peaked Kabuto's curiosity ever so slightly. It would be easier to convince her to join willingly rather than coerce her too.

"One last question. You mentioned that you wanted to be stronger, and faster, and more powerful, correct?"

"Yes! So I can finally catch that cat and strangle it with a tree trunk!"

"Why not join Orochimaru-sama? He can make you far more powerful than you could possibly imagine, Sakura. He would train you to become the most powerful kunoichi in all the Five Great Shinobi Nations.

From his one-way window, Kabuto swore Sakura somehow locked eyes with him. "No. You're pedophile of a master uses power to corrupt and destroy. I will use power to help and protect. I don't want to destroy anybody."

Kabuto laughed mockingly. "How naive. Power always leads to corruption, and corruption leads to destruction-"

And then he saw it. The small, little flower bud that had forced it's way through the cracks where Sakura lay on her table. He smirked. Flowers always grew. And with enough coercion, they also wilted. Orochimaru would do both to Sakura at once. And he would always be there to watch and wait. She had shown signs of possessing something very, very valuable. And he wouldn't let that slip out of his grasp.

* * *

**And there we go! I don't know if Kabuto is in character or not, but hey ho. Obviously Sakura has something that Orochimaru wants, but what could that be? Perhaps there was another motive for kidnapping her after all...**

**Honestly not much to say, really. Chapter was easy to write, and flowed well. I'm not entirely happy with it, but who ever is with their work, right? Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Winds of Change Chapter Twenty-Seven! This chapter was rather easy to write, and I'm afraid to say not much goes on in it. It's mainly just people talking about the impending assault (Which should hopefully begin around the 30-32 mark.) We also do learn some interesting information about characters, so stay tuned for that! Also, I've recently decided to use suffixes like -san or -sama, as you may notice in this chapter. I've decided to use them because I like the way they sound, and it makes important people sound more powerful and regal, in my opinion. Please tell me if I've got the meanings mixed up, or some are in the wrong area ect. And that's all! So, without further ado, I present to you chapter 27, of the Winds of Change.**

* * *

Chapter 27:

* * *

"Gurei, is it ready yet?"

Itachi's voice cut through the cloud of silence that hung over the group of ninja inside the abandoned ANBU base. The grey haired nin looked up from his work, a massive painting, his brow wrinkling in a slight annoyance.

"It takes time."

"Hn," was the Uchiha's response as he leaned against the wall

casually. Kakashi stifled a chuckle. These people certainly were interesting.

He ran a hand through his hair. He hated to say it, but he was rather bored. Not that he would ever outwardly show it, but this waiting was draining

on him. He had to save his student.

"Hn, this is taking too long." Neji sneered from the opposite side of the room, arms crossed in defiance. He really, really didn't like Itachi's group for some reason. While he did find it amusing, it was interfering with the mission. "Be patient Neji," he chided gently. Neji snorted in annoyance.

Besides Neji, though, everybody seemed to have taken to them well enough. While nobody was on exactly friendly terms, they cooperated, and chatted on occasion. They would need to get along for the plan to work, it was needed.

Otherwise...

"Do you want to save your comrade, or not?" Raion voiced, eyes narrowing. "If so, shut up. And let Gurei finish his work."

Itachi looked like he wanted to facepalm.

"Raion…" he said warningly. Raion grumbled something under his breath, but backed down. It reminded Kakashi somewhat of the prep for a battle. Itachi's group was positioned behind him, most of their arms crossed and guarded looks on their faces. Accept for Kura, who was _still_ staring at him. He didn't know whether to find it erotic or disturbing. He eventually decided on both.

The three members of his group were behind Itachi, standing in stoic fashion, except for Shikamaru, who was lying flat on the ground, his eyes closed.

"Shikamaru," Neji quietly murmured, "Get up."

One of Shikamaru's eyes cracked open. "Why? We have nothing to fear, and I had to participate in a battle, then run for ages, and then avoid traps. I'm sleeping - go away."

Kakashi could just feel the smug eyes of Kataki locking with Neji's. Itachi, however, was obviously not amused. "How about we stop this pointless and childish behaviour and get to doing something productive?"

"I _am_ doing something productive," Kura licked her lips, her eyes shining.

"Kura, I'm pretty sure Itachi-sensei meant something like training, not, uh..." Utsuro paused momentarily, leaning towards Kataki. "What is she actually doing?"

"Being a pervert."

"Being a pervert," Utsuro announced happily. Fenris merely shook his head.

Raion looked unhappy for some reason, but Itachi continued with, "Yes, something not to do with any form of sexual escapades. Kura, go and look in on Kimimaro, make sure those chakra binds are still in effect, and then go train whoever wants to."

"Why me!?" She spluttered in indignation, "Why should I!?"

"Because I ordered you to."

Nobody ever argues with the Uchiha stare. Kura shrugged. "Fair enough. Come on then children, let me teach you how to fight seductively."

"Kami..." Raion trailed off as he sat up and stretched. "This should be fun. You guys coming?"

Utsuro nodded, but Kataki declined with a shake of the head. "No. I'd like to examine the plan beforehand. Don't break anything."

"Yes sir," Raion did a mock salute, scowling. "Fenris, you coming to get your ass beat."

He chuckled lightly. "Yes, you would do the ass-kicking. How cute. Maybe you'll give me a bruise? Or a scratch?"

Raion growled. Kura kicked him in the shin. "Hurry up," she muttered, as Utsuro got up to follow her. The white haired nin paused, however, and looked at Raion with curious eyes as he rubbed his knee. She swiftly kicked him in his other shin.

"Ow! Why the hell did you do that!?"

Utsuro shrugged. "Kura did it." And she walked out.

A ghost of a smile crossed over Itachi's face. Eventually Raion hobbled out, leaving the groups in a deep silence for a few moments. That is until the sound of Gurei putting down his paintbrush got their attention.

"Done." He announced, wiping the sweat from his brow. "That was kinda hard."

"You did good in the short time we asked you to paint. Four hours to create something like that is hard. You can either take a break, or go train, or stay and help us plan. Your call."

"I'm going to help plan."

Itachi nodded. "Good, your input will be invaluable. Now, would you set it up for us?"

Gurei nodded, and placed his huge painting on the desk. The length of it literally took up all the space. "Wow, that's impressive." Kakashi praised lightly.

"Thank you Hatake-San." He bowed politely. Gurei made a handsign, and muttered something under his breath.

Kakashi and the rest of his group watched in astonishment as the painting began to move off the paper. It soon turned into a black 3D model of what Kakashi could only assume was the compound where Sakura and Tali were being held.

"Impressed?" Itachi asked. Kakashi could only nod dumbly.

"This is as accurate as I could get it from Itachi-sensei's description of the place. And, ta-daa!"

Eighteen little ink people leapt up from their places on the pad of paper, each having a distinctive characteristic. Kakashi immediately noticed the likeness of his awesome hair-do.

"I see. It'll help us divide ourselves into teams and track our progress," Shikamaru said as he came to inspect closer.

"Exactly," Gurei smiled.

As the rest of the groups came over to investigate, each with varying degrees of enthusiasm, Itachi spoke up. "Down to planning."

The compound itself was very deep and intricate. When first entering you would be greeted by one large chamber, and a number of smaller rooms. Each room would lead down to different almost maze like areas, which would all, one way or another, lead to a larger central chamber.

"I believe that Sakura and Tali would be held somewhere around here." Itachi pointed to a row of rooms in the middle, behind the large central chamber.

"How did you get all this information?" Neji asked suspiciously.

"I used Shadow Clones and drew rough maps of the corridors and rooms. It's not perfect, but it'll do. As I was saying, they'll most likely be in some of the chambers behind the main chamber. I would suggest sending a small team to go and find them."

"Any suggestions?" Kakashi asked.

"I would offer myself and Kura to go and find them."

Kakashi and Itachi both saw the others stiffen slightly, and they shared a look. "However, if you would wish to nominate somebody else to go with

Kura...?"

"Hm, I'm not sure... I think it would be best, given our current team

establishment, that we perhaps send Kurenai with you?"

"Kurenai-san would be an excellent addition. However, before we discuss this further, we have the overwhelming force of shinobi in this area," Itachi pointed to one of the upper large chambers.

"You said there were over a hundred, right sensei? That'll take a while to take them all out." Kataki sighed. More distractions, more wasted time! "I volunteer to take them out."

"No," Itachi cut him off, a hardened look in his eyes. "I'll take them out."

Kakashi's eyebrow raised. "You're going to take out one hundred men

alone?"

Itachi smirked slightly. "Yes. Most are conscripts, and those that aren't are about Chunnin level. It'll be easier if I handle them. After that, I'll rendezvous with Kurenai-san and Kura here."

He pointed at one of the smaller chambers opposite the chamber he would have killed everybody in.

"Yes, that could work. So, what is the plan for everyone else?" Kakashi asked.

Shikamaru voiced his opinion. "It would be better if we didn't have a long, drawn out battle. I would suggest leading a full on assault once the fodder force of men has been eliminated by Uchiha. We should then be able to draw out most of the Lightning Jonin and Akatsuki we've seen so far. Then Uchiha, Kurenai-sensei and Kura can grab the girls and make a speedy exit."

"That might not be possible. If my suspicions are correct they'll be guarded well; well enough that it'll take a long time to try and escape."

"You're correct," Neji butted in. "They probably have Akatsuki and the other Lightning Ninja stationed around the vicinity of the areas where they're being kept. It's going to be hard to break through anything. And if they don't rise to the bait, and all stay within the compound, breaking them is going to be harder."

"Perhaps, after gaining access to compound, we split everybody into three man teams. Why, you ask? Because the amount of ground we could all cover would increased, while also forcing the enemy to split up, weakening them."

"That'd cause possible casualties, though. More chance of you genin getting jumped by a highly experienced ninja and slaughtered." Kataki scoffed.

Shino pushed his glasses up the rim of his nose. "True, but this is a mission. Sadly, casualties are acceptable."

"They're not. Nobody will die," Itachi said forcefully, earning everybody's attention. "Fenris, you've been inside Orochimaru's compounds before. How does he operate?"

Fenris shifted uncomfortably. "I... Orochimaru-sam- Orochimaru usually places his strongest men around his prized possessions. I agree with Shino, splitting up in three man groups will weaken them."

"Will it though?" Kakashi countered, "It'll make us easier to hit, and much easier to eliminate."

"Not if we play it smart," Shikamaru agreed, nodding towards Shino. "If we create groups specifically for certain roles, we can confuse the enemy."

Itachi's brows furrowed in thought. "It could work. In fact, it's a good idea. If we create specialized groups it'll give us far more control over the situation than the enemy."

"Right, now that it's sorted, we need to divide people into groups."

"Hinata-sama and myself should be assigned to a tracking group." Neji immediately stated, his steely eyes daring anyone to argue with him.

"No," Itachi said, shaking his head, "It would be a waste of resources to place two members of the Hyuga clan within the same squad. I suggest we have three main squads. Assault, Recon and Support."

"I see where you're going," Shikamaru muttered. "If we have an Assault team that fights the hardest troops, a Damage team which makes as much noise as possible, distracting people, a Recon team to scope out the area and find Sakura and Tali, and a support team that's able to divert to any of the other teams in need of aid. It could work."

"Question is, who do we place on what team?" Gurei finally spoke after a long silence. "I would recommend I go into battle with the Assault team."

"Yes, we'd need a medic there the most. I would also like to include Gai, Kiba and yourself Neji."

Neji, while not exactly liking the idea of splitting up from Hinata, agreed. However, Shino voiced his opinion.

"If I may, Kakashi-sensei, I think it would be prudent if myself, Hinata and Kiba were in fact the scouting team. Why, you ask? We work well as a cohesive unit, know each other's strengths and weaknesses better than most, and are primarily a scouting team. It would be logical for us all to join the same unit."

Kakashi hummed in thought. "Yes, but we may need to be able to track down the others, so we need somebody who has that ability. In fact, Shino, you stay with the assault group, while Hinata and Kiba can go and recon."

"Myself, Kura and Kurenai-san will meet up with them, either with Tali and Sakura or without them, and we can continue on."

Shino looked slightly ruffled, as much as you could tell from behind that thick trench-coat, but nodded. "Yes... that makes sense. My Kikaichū could be placed on everybody, allowing me to track them."

Kakashi nodded. "Good, that makes sense. Naruto, Sasuke and Tenten can also join myself, Gai, Neji, Shino and..." He trailed off slightly, turning his gaze onto Kataki. "What about you guys?"

Kataki straightened. "I... we work better as a cohesive unit. I would suggest that I take Raion and Fenris, and Gurei with me. I intend to try and find and confront the Akatsuki."

"Insanity," Itachi muttered coldy. "There would be no point-"

"With respect, Itachi-sensei, if I delay the Akatsuki that would give you a much easier advantage when dealing with everything else. Being able to dispatch the Lightning Ninja without the Akatsuki breathing down your neck. It's risky, sure, but would take the heat off you, allow me to gain some revenge, and save ourselves some trouble later. If you think about sensei, it's a win-win idea, yeah?"

Kakashi could have sworn he heard Itachi grumble. "I suppose it could work. But, who's to say that they'll react to you at all? What do you have that they need?"

Kataki smiled. "Simple, we have Tali." Everybody blinked, but Shikamaru's face was soon replaced with understanding.

"Clever, but troublesome. Uchiha, if you create a Shadow Clone, it could henge into Tali, and follow them. Once they've got deep enough into the compound, they could turn around and run, acting as if they have secured Tali. This would result in the Akatsuki coming after them, hopefully."

Itachi scowled, but nodded. "We'd need another medic on Support, though."

"Gai has met up with a medical ninja. She's agreed with the request to help us. She could provide support."

Itachi nodded at Kakashi's statement. "Excellent. And Utsuro would stay in support?"

Kataki nodded. "Yes, her skills would be best suited to that. With us delaying, the Assault group should have a much easier time taking out the enemy."

"It'll take time, though. These Lightning Ninja are Jonin at the most, and they'll be hard to take down. Coupled with the threat of Akatsuki, and possible Oto Ninja, it's going to be tough... but do-able." Kakashi stated.

"We have the basis of a do-able plan, then. One that should, hopefully, reduce casualties on our side, and multiply them on theirs." Shino said, nodding to himself.

"So, to recap. We have the main Assault Team, with myself, Gai, Neji, Shino, Naruto, Sasuke, and Tenten. For Support we have Shizune, Utsuro, Shikamaru and Ino. For the Distraction Assault Team, we have Kataki, Fenris, Raion and Gurei. For the two scouting teams with have Hinata and Kiba, and yourself Itachi, Kura and Kurenai. Are we all in agreement?"

Everybody nodded in agreement. Kakashi smiled. They were making progress.

"I do have some other news, however. I sent word to the Leaf Village about how our mission was going. They weren't too happy, though..."

Everybody from Kakashi's group furrowed their brows.

"What do you mean, they were unhappy?" Neji voiced what everybody was thinking, crossing his arms over his chest. "The mission, while having some setbacks, has been going phenomenally well so far."

"If you count being attacked by Orochimaru's bodyguards and almost killed as 'a setback' then I would agree." Kataki smirked. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Well, there may have been something I forgot to mention to you all..."

Now all eyes were glued to Kakashi. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It goes like this. So, you know how this is a mission, right?" They all nodded hesitantly. "Well, you see... it sorta... well... it was never actually sanctioned as a mission."

Silence.

After a few minutes of dumbstruckery, Itachi spoke up. "_What?_"

Kakashi eye-smiled.

Another few moments of silence followed. Neji's eye twitched. "Let me get this straight," he began slowly, "You took the heir to the Aburame, Hyuga, Inuzuka, Nara, Yamanaka and Uchiha clans out of the village, to go hunt for your student, without permission from the village itself...?"

"Well, when you put it like that, it makes it sound like I did a bad thing-"

"You did do a bad thing!" Neji exploded. "This is illegal, we could be killed because of this!"

"Oh Neji, such a dramatic Hyuga."

Neji's eye twitched again. "And anyway, I got permission from everybody's parents. Think of this like a school-trip! Only with the possibility of death."

"You idiot." Itachi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of all the things..."

"Oh Itachi, don't worry about it! Everything will be fine."

"Highly improbable. Why, you ask? Because you took the heirs of the major clans of Konoha out of the villages safe walls for a bogus mission. You will be dead by the time you reach the gate."

"Ah Shino, always the pessimist. Since we're figuring out everybody's opinions, Shikamaru, your thoughts?"

"Troublesome..." was the reply. Kakashi nodded.

"You utter fool," Itachi said again, still pinching the bridge of his

nose.

The Copy-Nin just shrugged. "Anybody want to quit the mission now?"

"No." They all unanimously agreed.

"There would be no point, seeing as we have come so far," Shino adjusted his glasses once more. "Besides, do you not have a saying that goes against going back?"

"A person who abandons the mission is trash, but a person who abandons a teammate is worse than trash." Kakashi smiled fondly. "Anyway, they agreed to properly sanction the mission, although everybody will most likely try to kill us. I should also mention I didn't really tell anybody that I was bringing you back Itachi. That cool with you?"

"Idiot."

"Good. So, while most of the clans will try to murder me horrifically, we'll all get paid in the end!"

"Wait," Shikamaru asked in a bored tone. "If the mission is now properly sanctioned, what was the point of asking us if we wanted to stay? Leaving would be illegal too."

Kakashi eye-smiled. "I wanted to see your reactions, fellow cute little genin to my cute little genin."

Both of Neji's eyes violently twitched.

"Anyway, is that everything everybody wanted to say that did not result in someone verbally attacking me?"

Neji scowled.

"Excellent. I would say the meeting should be dismissed, wouldn't you Itachi?"

He looked up, and shook his head again. "Yes, I suppose."

"Very well, dismiss-"

There was a puff of smoke that enveloped the table, including the giant black painting that had come to life. When it cleared, there was a small pug, covered in black ink, sitting on the table. "Yo," it greeted. "Why am I covered in ink?"

"Greetings Pakkun," Kakashi eye-smiled, "I presume everything is

going well over at Orochiasu?"

Pakkun shook his head. "Actually, no. We have trouble Kakashi."

Everybody focused on the little dog. "Today two Akatsuki breached Orochiasu, for what Gai-san can only assume to be an attempt to kidnap Naruto Uzumaki."

"Why Naruto, exactly? We don't even know what the Akatsuki is..." Shikamaru trailed off as he was shushed by a look from Kakashi.

Kataki mouthed to him 'I'll tell you later.' The lazy genius' brows furrowed, but he nodded all the same.

"They were held off by Hyuga Hinata and Kiba Inuzuka, who accidently stumbled upon them before they reached Naruto. Hinata is adamant that one of the members was Hyouden Hyuga."

Neji stiffened visibly. "Impossible, she's dead..."

"Apparently not," Pakkun said scratching himself behind the ears, "The other, from what Hinata told me, was Kiba Inuzuka's father, Garou Inuzuka."

At this Shino stiffened. "This is bad, very bad. Why, you ask? Because Kiba wants to kill his father by any means necessary. Were my teammates injured?"

"Yes. Not life-threatening," the small dog added after Shino visibly straightened," Kiba was unconscious at the time of my departure, but he was stable. Hinata had mainly a few bruises, and nothing more. Don't worry kid, they're fine. However, that's not the only bad news."

Kakashi internally sighed. Great, an Akatsuki attempt on Naruto, what now!?

"Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Kurenai Yuhi were attacked by a rogue Lightning Jonin. Sasuke was unconscious, and slightly injured, but nevertheless alright. Naruto suffered a few burns, but nothing Shizune could not heal. Same with Kurenai."

Kakashi let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Another girl, Ino Yamanaka I believe, was also attacked by a member of the Hitokui clan. She was emotionally damaged, but fine."

"Ino? Shit, We've got to go and see her!"

All of Kakashi's group voiced their opinions about going to see the team in Orochiasu. Kakashi calmed them down with a surrendering gesture. "I'm sorry, but not all of you can come."

"It's my duty to protect Hinata-sama. I must see to her at once," Neji demanded. He did have a fair point...

"It would be logical for me to go and place my Kikai on the other team members anyway, so I shall go too." Shino stated. Another good point...

"Uh, I should go because, well..."

Kakashi could swear he saw a blush creeping up Shikamaru's neck.

"Sorry Shikamaru, you need to stay here and help strategize. "Pakkun, tell Gai I'm coming with Shino and Neji to do check on things."

"I need to run back there again?" He grumbled, Fine, understood."

And the little pug that could took off running.

"Well then, I shall be back shortly. Itachi, Kataki, Fenris, Gurei, Shikamaru, see you soon!"

And, with that, he teleported away with Neji and Shino.

"Itachi-sensei, I can see why you left the Leaf now," Kataki nodded in understanding.

"So do I..."

Gurei was looking horrified at the destruction of his 3D painting structure thing, but with a resigned sigh he said, "I need to go check on our special guest. And mourn the loss of my painting." And he left quietly.

Shikamaru muttered "Troublesome," before standing up and leaving too.

Fenris smiled. "You people are... far more entertaining than Oto Ninja."

"You'll regret saying that," Itachi said swiftly standing. "Let's go practice."

Kataki groaned. "Oh no..."

"What's wrong with practice?" Fenris asked his self-proclaimed master.

"It's not the same as training. Training is, well, normal training. When sensei makes us practice, he _really _makes us work. Be prepared to ache my friend, be prepared."

"Kura said something like that a few hours ago. She then tried to trap us in that room, do you remem-"

"Yes." Kataki stated immediately. Itachi smirked.

"Come along now, time to practice."

* * *

Pain. It overwhelmed him, consumed him, it was him. With a groan, his eyes slowly opened. Kimimaro did not recognize where he was. It was to be as expected - he had lost the battle. He was lying backwards on some form of hard surface, and yet he could not move. As his eyes traveled down his tattered form, he noticed the binds that kept him caged. Ah, chakra seals. He wouldn't be getting out of here anytime soon. He didn't deserve too, though. Was he truly this worthless? The final task he would perform for Orochimaru-sama. And he had failed miserably. He did not deserve to live, to breathe. His very existence stained Orochimaru-sama's name.

The creak of door did nothing for him. He would not pay attention, he was not even worth that.

"Hello," a rather chipper voice greeted him. He, of course, did not reply. Not intentionally anyway, as a thick cough overwhelmed him.

Gurei frowned. "Hm, yes, that sickness in your chest, I was meaning to check that out."

"Don't bother."

A grey eyebrow rose up. "No? Are you hoping to die, then?"

"It's incurable. I would suggest you end it now, as I have no point in living any longer."

At this, Gurei let out a long laugh. "Oh, how funny." Kimimaro grit his teeth. Nobody laughed at his expense.

"Hn, leave me be."

Gurei paused for a moment, picking up a clipboard. "So," he said, looking over it, "jokes aside, how're you feeling?"

"Go away!"

"Uh-huh," he produced a pen from his pocket and wrote something down.

Kimimaro felt like exploding.

"I'm going to scan your chest." Gurei stated, his hands glowing green. Kimimaro struggled against his binds. A sharp jolt stopped him. He growled. He couldn't move his arms or legs!

The warm green chakra felt alien to his body, as it probed and prodded. Gurei's face twisted from impassiveness to concern. "How long have you had this?"

"None of your concern, scum."

"Hm, from the amount it's spread, I'd say quite a few years. Why didn't anyone treat your Pneumonia?"

Kimimaro's breath hitched. Pneumonia? Impossible.

"I will not fall for you tricks."

"Tricks? You have a serious case of Pneumonia that has not been treated for the past few years."

"I have an incurable disease!" He hissed.

"Who told you that!? You are perfectly curable within due time."

He was lying. He had to be. Why would Orochimaru-sama lie to him? It wouldn't make any sense, he needed him. He was his top agent.

"Liar!"

A bone shot out from Kimimaro's shoulder, heading straight towards Gurei's throat. The medical ninja dodged to the side, his hand glowing green with a chakra scalpel. Using quick reflexes, he severed the link between Kimimaro's body and shoulder. The Sound nin cried out in pain. Gurei stood impassive.

"You are foolish. Whatever you have been told by Orochimaru or my -whatever you have been told is a lie. You were obviously never worth anything to them. I will come back with some food and water later on. Any more attacks like that and I will slit your throat."

And, with that, he slipped out.

Kimimaro was in a daze. The pain in his shoulder was burning and tearing, and yet his mind was clouded by doubt. Could what this medic nin said be true? Was Orochimaru-sama simply lying to him? But why!?

With a frustrated growl Kimimaro went into deep meditation, hoping to find some answers deep inside his own subconscious. In reality, he knew he would find none.

* * *

**And there we go! So, could Kimimaro's illness not be as serious as it first seemed? Or, is Gurei lying? :D.**

**Overall, I enjoyed writing this chapter. The humour with Kakashi, and generally anything with Kakashi actually, is always fun. He's a great character to write with, with just the right amount of stoicness and humour to create some awesome scenarios. And yes, Kakashi pretty much kidnapped everyone to go on this mission. I should point out, just remembering, that Gai and Kurenai do know about this.**

**Kimimaro is a hard character to write for, I must admit. It's challenging for me, but I'ms sure I'll get the hang of his character soon.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter of WoC, please leave a review, it helps me know what you like and dislike to make this story better! Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello everybody, and welcome to chapter twenty-eight of the Winds of Change! So, got a couple of things to go through. First off, the first scene in this chapter is a sort of yaoi lime. For those who dislike that sort of thing, feel-free to skip it. It doesn't really add anything that you need to read, just as long as you understand what happens after. It's easy too though, so don't worry. I'm also looking for a new beta, or multiple ones. My last beta and I recently parted ways, so any help would be appreciated. This chapter was rather fun to write, actually. I'll talk about it in the authors note at the bottom. So, without further ado, I present chapter 28, of the Winds of Change.**

* * *

Chapter 28:

* * *

_Kiba didn't know where he was. Frankly, he didn't care. His body was overwhelmed with sensations, The scent of pine, the smell of flowers, the feeling of grass tickling his bare back. And then there was the man that lightly nipped at his neck. Kiba shuddered. The sun shone on the two sweaty bodies, making them glisten and gleam. Kiba let out a throaty moan as the man kissed his neck. He rolled over, his hips grinding against the man's, earning a soft moan. Kiba smiled wolfishly, rolling his hips over and over again. Their moans grew louder and more frantic, their hands grasping for skin. Suddenly, Kiba was pulled into a searing kiss. The man's lips were oddly soft, and tasted sweet and-_

_Kiba didn't have time to dwell on the though as a hand cupped his clothed member. He let out a gasp of surprise, his eyes quickly raking over the muscled form of... Shino._

"_Kiba," Shino said breathlessly, before he disappeared in a swarm of bugs._

* * *

Kiba awoke with a start, feeling breathless and very warm. Sweat poured down his tanned skin as he hungrily took in gulps of air. A certain part of his anatomy was throbbing painfully, and he had to restrain himself from ripping off his covers and.

"K-Kiba?"

The dog nin inclined his head to the side. Hinata stood there, a jug of water half lent over a lone flower. Her face was a red shade, and her knees were wobbly. "K-Kiba... um..."

She gestured with her arm, her lavender eyes becoming downcast with embarrassment. She fidgeted nervously.

It took Kiba a few moments to figure out why she was so... nervous. His own face became tinged with red as he noticed the highly visible tent in his covers.

"H-hey Hinata." He waved casually.

The Hyuga didn't meet his eyes, instead placing the jug of water on the side. "I-I best be g-going. We'll t-talk later!" And with that, she ran out the room faster than Kiba had ever seen her run.

He sighed. He scared away Hinata with an erection. Wonderful, something else to add to the list of things he screwed up today.

Akamaru snorted from his spot at the edge of Kiba's makeshift bed. The Inuzuka shot him a warning look. He merely grumbled under his breath, and closed his eyes.

* * *

The first rays of sunlight were filtering through the blinds. Even that was far too bright for Tsunade. Swiping feebly in the windows direction, she winced in pain. Kami, what a hangover. She groaned miserably. How much did she drink last night? She wracked her brain. Was it four bottles of sake? Five? Six? Seven? Didn't matter, she supposed. She was drunk as a skunk, and that left her with a pounding and throbbing headache. She rubbed her eyes.

Her stomach rumbled loudly, accompanied by the sound of her brain trying to beat itself out of her head. She stood and wobbled, using the table to balance, before she stumbled her way over to the fridge. Opening it, she winced at how white it was. Why was everything so bright!?

Grumbling, she took out a bottle of sake. This would fill her hunger. And hopefully alleviate her hangover. Or so the old wives tales said, anyway.

She recalled vaguely arguing with Shizune last night. Ah yes, she always argued with Shizune after a night of drinking. She just didn't understand. Tsunade's brown eyes were drawn to the calendar. Her breath hitched. So, it was today...

The Sennin mumbled something under her breath, raking a hand through her long blonde hair. It was always the same, she would always travel in circles. Today was _that_ day. The day when hope began to die, when her heart was shattered. She wished she was more hungover, so she could escape from this reality she was forced to live every single day. And, to make matters worse, ninja from Konoha were here. Great. More people to remind her of home, more people to remind her of the Hokage, and more people to remind her about Dan and Nawaki.

She bit her lip to stop herself from crying. What good would crying do? She was Tsunade of the Senju Clan, and she would not cry! She took a swig from her sake bottle, right as someone entered the small kitchen.

Tenten's eyes narrowed fiercely as she spotted the form of Tsunade slouched over the kitchen table, sake bottle in hand. "Hey." The Sennin greeted. Tenten bit the inside of her cheek to keep from angrily attacking her, and swallowed. She could do this. Get in, grab some crackers, get out. Simple.

She stomped into the kitchen, her brown eyes looking anywhere but the busty woman looking at her with confused eyes. She reached upwards to grab the box of crackers on the shelf as calmly as she could. On the inside, her guts were boiling with unsuppressed rage. Tsunade of the Sannin, a pathetic old hag sat drinking sake early in the morning. When she could be helping Lee get better! Instead, she was doing nothing with her time. Tenten slowly began to shake, but stopped herself. There would be no point in arguing. She would just leave with her crackers and-

"What's eating you kid?"

Tenten froze. Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed. What was up with this girl!?

Tenten began shaking violently, the packet of crackers in her hand being crushed as her hand constricted around the packet. "What's eating me!?"

She spun around, the packet flying out of her hand and hitting the wall of a thud. Tenten wasn't deterred, taking a stride forward, her eyes burning d. "You want to know what's eating me, Tsunade of the Sannin!? I'll tell you!"

She slammed her petite fists down on the table. "You disgust me. Every fiber of your being I loathe. You won't help my teammate."

Tsunade frowned deeply. This girl dared disrespect her? "Why the hell won't you help Lee!?" She yelled, leaning forward, her teeth baring. "You think you have the right to deny us? He's a Konoha ninja like you bitch! And you have no choice but to heal him!"

Tsunade scoffed loudly. "Who do you think you are? Some little girl who decided to dress up and play ninja. In the real world, kid, I can deny who and what I want."

Obviously, this did nothing to placate the rage that Tenten felt. With a roar, she withdrew a kunai from her pouch and lobbed it at the busty woman. It took Tsunade a second to deflect it with her wrist, sending it into the nearby wall. "Did you just attack me?" She growled angrily, standing up. Tenten stared defiantly at her.

"You know Tsunade, I used to worship the ground you walked on. I idolized you, loved you. If you would have asked me to jump, I would have said how high. I would have greeted you as Kami himself, created altars and prayers befitting your name, that's how much I loved you. You were the greatest Kunoichi on the face of the earth, in all the Five Great Nations, people looked up to you, respected you. And now what are you? A washed up old hasbin hag! Someone who chooses to get drunk rather than help people, someone who chooses to let people die to see what's at the bottom of a bottle. How many people have you let die!?"

Images of Nawaki and Dan swarmed through Tsunade's brain. "You've not seen anything! What, were you one of those pretty flower girls who spent all her time in the academy picking flowers? What are you, sixteen years old? Isn't that cute. A teenage girl who runs her mouth like some sort of all powerful ninja. Let me tell you something! I've been in war, I've killed hundreds of people, I've saved thousands. You have no right to speak to me like that, yo petty little brat! What have you done so far, hm? Maybe participated in the Chunnin exams? Done a couple C ranked missions, eh? By your age I was fighting Iwa Shinobi on the frontlines, I was healing the sick and wounded, I lost friends and allies! You know nothing of what it is to be a ninja, and you never will. You know why? Because you're a hot-headed, weak minded, pathetic, naive little girl who will end up dead long before she knows what being a shinobi truly is!" Tsunade at this point was shaking with rage herself. But Tenten did not back down, instead her resolve seemed to steel.

"At least I give a shit about my comrades! Where have you been the past few years, oh great Kunoichi? Getting drunk off you ass at local bars? Giving sleazy men oral sex behind counters? Acting like a glorified hooker!? I now see you for what you truly are! A disgusting, vile, old bitter woman."

The brunette paused for a moment, her eyes losing some of their steel. "You know what, maybe I am the petty little girl. Maybe I am naive, and weak, and pathetic. But, that's because I idolized someone as weak and petty as you!? You shouldn't be a role-model, you should be someone people spit on when you walk through the streets, someone at people look at with such disdain that they feel like throwing up! You're a bum, you don't deserve to carry the title of 'Sannin'."

Tsunade was at her wits end with this girl. She comes into her kitchen screams at her not being a strong shinobi, and leaving comrades to die.

"Is this really what Sarutobi-sensei has done with the new generation? If so, Konoha is doomed! You are naive and hot-headed, two things that will get you killed real fast in the ninja world. And people will cry and your funeral, sure, but that will be out of pity. I left Konoha for my own reasons, and that will never be any of your concern! I'm going to give you one chance to leave. Just one. If you are not out of this kitchen within three seconds, I will teach you your place."

The two warring women stared at each other, brown eyes locking with brown and never leaving. They both weren't backing down anytime soon.

"Three, two, o-"

"You won't help Lee," Tenten spat, "I won't waste my time with you. Be warned, if my teammate, my friend dies, then I'm coming for you. And I will kill you, or die trying!"

With an angry roar, Tenten stormed off, her eyes becoming moist.

Tsunade stood in the silence of the room for a few moments. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and sat back down on her seat, reaching for her bottle of sake. _"Drunken old hag!_" The girls voice rang in her head. She had almost forgotten the throbbing pain in her head. Almost. Now it was back, stronger than ever, clouded with the girls stinging words. Her hand dropped limply to her side, leaving the bottle of sake untouched. And she sat, and stared into nothingness.

* * *

"Really?"

Tsunade sighed from her place on the doorstep, her eyes sweeping the large open yard. Why were there children, and more importantly Leaf Shinobi in her yard?

She spotted the sight of vibrant blonde hair almost instantly. Her eyes widened. The boy sat, laughing iambically with another raven haired boy, who liked liked he wanted to throw up. Sapphire eyes shined with humour.

"_Minato...?_"

"Good morning Tsunade-sama! Yosh, isn't it a beautiful day!"

Tsunade cringed as Gai bounded up to her, flashing her with his signature pose. "Gai? What the hell are all these other people doing here!?" She hissed.

Gai smiled. "Why, your most youthful student Shizune allowed my wonderful companions to rest here! She is a beautiful blossom!"

The Sennin shook her head. She was going to kill Shizune horribly when she laid her hands on her.

"What time is it?" She grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Yosh! It is the most youthful time of 2:30 PM! It is very un-youthful Tsunade-sama to sleep in. After all, the power of youth is enlightened by the morning air!"

"Right. How long have they been here exactly?"

"We've been here since last night, Tsunade-sama." Kurenai walked over, bowing politely. "My team was attacked by some rogue ninja. We had nowhere else to go. I apologize for troubling you." She bowed once more.

Tsunade grumbled awkwardly. God damn guilt-trippers. "It's fine, I suppose."

Kurenai smiled.

Gai laughed heartily. "Yosh! To celebrate this most youthful acceptance of our friends presence, let us run around the town three times on our hands! What do you say Tsunade-sama, Kurenai?"

Both sweatdropped. "Piss off, Gai." Tsunade growled, her eyes steeling.

"Yosh! Very well, see you in a half an hour!" And he was off, spouting youthful phrases.

"...I hate that guy."

Kurenai chuckled. "He has some... eccentricity, but he's a good person."

Tsunade grumbled.

Meanwhile, Naruto was having a conversation with Sasuke while Hinata looked on.

"So, I say to the old man, 'Listen, I want two miso ramen on the double!' and then he said 'I'll make it on the triple'. And then, Ayame said-"

"This is the worst story. Ever." Sasuke scowled. Naruto let out a murmur of hurt, before crossing his arms over his chest.

"See if I care asshole. Go talk to Hinata, then."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. It had been 'Hinata' this and 'Hinata' that ever since they had returned. Having woken from unconsciousness to the sight of bright green, and a blinding smile, he was not in the best of moods.

_Corpses everywhere, some charred, some cut. Blood caking walls, eyes devoid of life._

Sasuke shook his head violently. "Shut up loser! Just piss off!" The Uchiha stomped away, his foul mood radiating off of him. Naruto scowled at the back of his head, before standing to get up and leave. He then spotted a rather busty woman, if he did say so himself, talking to Kurenai-sensei.

"Hey, who're you!?"

Tsunade's eyes locked with his for a moment. She frowned.

"I should be asking you the same thing brat!"

Naruto stormed over. "I don't want to deal with this crap you old hag, who the hell are you anyway!?"

Tsunade's eye twitched. "I've had enough of annoying kids today..." she grumbled, "Tsunade Senju."

"Well then, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage, believe it!"

The Senju Princess began laughing. It eventually evolved into full out guffawing. "You? Hokage!? Haha!"

"Hey! I'm going to be the greatest Hokage ever!"

"Sure you are kid. Because _all _Hokage candidates wore orange."

She had to admit though, she was impressed with his fiery personality. Reminded her of Kushina, actually. Just as boneheaded, too. "It doesn't matter what I wear! I'm being trained by amazing people who will help me become the strongest ninja ever!"

"Oh really? And who are these ninja, exactly?"

Kurenai chuckled at the interaction between the two, as Naruto listed off all the 'amazing people' that trained him. "Well, I have Kakashi-sensei-"

"Kakashi Hatake? Used to babysit him when he was little. Loved playing with his toy princesses. Anybody else?"

"... princesses? Anyway, I also have the Pervy Sage! Well, he's not really that great... but he's strong!... I think..."

Pervy Sage? Tsunade's brow furrowed. Where had she heard-

"Hey! I am great and strong brat, and don't you forget it!"

A vein in Tsunade's head throbbed painfully. She should have guessed.

"Tsunade!? It's been ages!"

The Senju Princess turned to see her fellow Sannin, Jiraiya, standing atop her 'house'. He flashed her a lecherous grin. He still looked the same as ever. Long white hair, tanned skin, rather well-built...

He leapt down from the roof, bounding over to the group. "Pervy Sage-"

Naruto was cut off as Jiraiya kicked him in the ribs, sending him flying backwards. "Ow, you asshole!" The blonde cried out. Jiraiya wasn't listening, waiting for Tsunade to greet him back.

It took her three minutes before she finally spoke. "Jiraiya."

The Sennin grinned. "Tsunade!"

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Quiet brat!"

"Oi! Don't speak to me like that you pervert!"

Tsunade grit her teeth in irritation. Her headache was coming back full-force. "Well..." Kurenai coughed awkwardly into her hand. "I'll just be going now... I've got to go and do some... shopping. a pleasure to speak with you, Tsunade-sama." Kurenai disappeared in a swirl of leaves. And there went the only sane one.

"Anyway Tsunade," Jiraiya called out, mercilessly bopping Naruto, who had recovered from his kick to the ribs and made his way back over, on the head, "Give me a few moments, and we can catch up!"

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Tsunade rolled up her sleeves.

Deciding it was best to change the subject now, or face the wrath of the strongest kunoichi in existence (which he knew far too well) the Toad Sage said, "So, how's your training coming along Naruto?"

Of course her idiot was training this idiot... now it all made sense...

"It's going great Pervy Sage! I've almost completed the first stage of the Rasengan!"

Jiraiya was teaching him the Rasengan? Figures, it was his father's jutsu after all. Jiraiya seemed unimpressed. "Uh-huh. I gave this to you, what, three or four days ago, maybe a bit more? And you've only almost completed the first stage?"

Naruto shrugged uncomfortably under the criticism. "Well, it's hard!"

"Right. Hinata!" Jiraiya called.

Tsunade turned her head to where he was looking. Huh, what did you know, there was another person there. Timid and small would be the best ways to describe her, she mused. She blushed scarlet as Jiraiya called her. "Y-yes Jiraiya-s-sensei?" Her lavender eyes were filled with shyness. Well damn, a timid Hyuga.

"How's your training coming along?" So Jiraiya was training this kid as well. What, was he taking in all manner of strays? The loud obnoxious son of the Fourth Hokage and a shy Hyuga? Maybe he'd take on a polite Inuzuka next.

"W-well, n-not that go-good..." she stuttered uncomfortably.

"Nu-uh!" Naruto chirped in, "She's already almost got the second stage down!"

Jiraiya's eyes shone with curiosity and pride. "Really?"

"W-well..." She trailed off. Jiraiya gestured for her to come forward, and she did so, taking the smallest steps possible. Eventually she reached the group, but with her gaze lowered. "S-sorry."

"Sorry?" Tsunade and Jiraiya intoned at once. Naruto just looked confused.

"I-I'm sorry that I d-didn't master it y-yet. P-please forgive me, Jiraiya-s-sensei." She bowed deeply.

What she didn't expect was a firm hand atop her head, ruffling her short locks. Her eyes widened as she lifted her head up, revealing the beaming smile of Jiraiya. "You kidding me kid?" He asked gruffly, chuckling, "You've done amazingly well! Mastering almost two stages of the Rasengan in about four days? Unbelievable! It usually takes a week to master one!"

Hinata blushed under the praise, and she felt her eyes watering. "_Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry-"_

"In fact, I may just keep you as my apprentice and ditch this little fool," Jiraiya gestured to an outraged Naruto, a smug smile on his face.

"You can't do that Pervy Sage!" He cried loudly. Hinata looked worried.

"I d-don't want to t-take Naruto's p-place..." She trailed off. Jiraiya laughed.

"I'm just joking Hinata," he smiled. "I'll train the both of you!"

Naruto was still grumbling under his breath. "How do you know this old hag!?" The question was directed at Jiraiya. He beamed.

"This," he placed an arm around her shoulder, "Is my teammate. Tsunade Senju."

"Get. Your. Arm. Off. Me."

Jiraiya gulped, doing as the busty woman said. Tsunade growled awkwardly, a small blush crawling up her neck at where Jiraiya had touched her-

"She's a killer!"

Everybody's heads snapped to the side to see Tenten, her cheeks covered in tears, her eyes red and blotchy, scowling at Tsunade.

"What?" Naruto asked. "She's just an old hag-"

"She refuses to help Lee! She's going to let him die!"

Naruto froze. He remained motionless, a dark tone flowing over the group. Hinata took the smallest step backward.

"You what!?" He screeched loudly, his sapphire eyes darkening as he turned on Tsunade ferociously. "Why won't you help Bushy Brow!?"

"None of your business, brat!"

"It's my business! You won't help my friend!"

Naruto growled menacingly. "You will help him, Believe it!"

Hinata had quietly slipped away, trying to avoid as much confrontation as possible.

Tsunade grimaced. "Listen here kid, I don't give a shit about you. Back off!"

"No! My dream is to become Hokage, and I will not rest until you help Bushy Brow!"

Pictures of Nawaki and Dan swam through her mind like a tidal wave. She quickly shook her head. "Whatever, I'm not helping brat. Tell you what, how about we make a bet?" She sneered.

Naruto puffed up his chest, "You're on old hag!"

"Heh. How about this. If you can master the Rasengan in... shall we say, two days, I'll help your friend. If you can't, you leave me alone, and you all must leave this place."

"Tsunade... that's a bit hasty, don't you think-"

"Quiet Jiraiya," she snapped, "So kid, do we have a deal. Or are you going to be like all the other foolish Hokages."

"THE HOKAGE'S ARE NOT FOOLISH!" Naruto roared with such vigor it caused Tsunade to take a step back. "I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS YOU BITCH, AND THEN YOU'LL REMEMBER THE NAME NARUTO UZUMAKI!"

The blonde ran off, muttering obscene curses under his breath. Tsunade scowled in his direction, before turning around the opposite way, and walking off. "Wait, Tsunade!" Jiraiya called after her, following the Senju Princess.

Only Tenten was left, tears streaming down her face as she cupped it in her hands. She quickly turned and ran back into the house, leaving the courtyard empty.

* * *

"Why did you run off?"

Kiba turned his head to the side. Hinata and himself had been making small talk for the past hour or so. He could tell, though, that something was bothering his teammate. She held herself far more reserved than she usually did. Almost the same way back when they were first assigned together under Kurenai. Like she didn't trust them.

Kiba knew he wasn't really an emotional person, or someone who could read emotions that well. But he could tell when something was troubling his teammate. The way she flinched ever so slightly when he adjusted himself, the way she never met his gaze. She always used to meet his gaze.

"To chase my father." He answered, frowning in thought. Hinata was quiet for a long while, before she spoke.

"You could have waited for us." Her voice was distant and wispy, and seemed to shrink into her seat.

Kiba shook his head roughly. "I couldn't of Hinata, I'm sorry. It's just..." He trailed off, his eyes darkening. "It's personal."

Her head snapped up, lavender eyes widening, becoming watery. "P-personal? S-so you don't t-trust me?"

"No, I do! It's just that-"

"You trust S-Shino, and n-not me." She stated sadly, sniffing. "I understand."

"What do you mean I trust Shino. I trust you both the same!"

"N-no, you don't. S-Shino told me a-about your father."

It hit him hard. She thought he didn't trust her, but trusted Shino more. To tell all his dark secrets too. An unknown feeling bubbled in his gut when he thought about Hinata and him telling her about his father. Her questioning who's right it was to tell who ever he wished. "You never told anyone about your mother," he snapped.

She recoiled at his tone, her eyes showing her fright. "Y-you're doing it a-again."

"Doing what?" His tone was biting and fierce. He berated himself. What was he doing!? Shouting at his own teammate, how stupid could he be!?

"B-being your f-father."

He froze. Now he was pissed. How dare she compare him to his father! The nerve of her! He flung off his covers, standing to full height and scowling at her. "How dare you! I'm nothing like..."

He trailed off as she noticed the tears flowing down her face, they way she had shrunk so deep into her chair she could've become one with it. He opened his mouth, and closed it again.

"What..." He slumped down onto his bed, covering his face with his hands. Shino was right... he was becoming consumed with anger and hate. He had just lashed out at his shy teammate, someone who he trusted. And he had treated her like dirt.

"I'm so sorry..." He trailed off, biting back a sob. Inuzuka didn't cry. They never, ever cri-

He felt Hinata's arms wrap around him, pulling him into a tight and comforting hug. He could feel the wetness of her own tears on his shirt, as she lay into his shoulder.

"D-don't cry K-Kiba," She sniffed, "I s-shouldn't have compared y-you two. You're a g-great guy. I'm sorry."

Kiba rubbed her back as soothingly as possible. He refused to cry, but it didn't hurt to have a tender hug once in awhile. Not that he would ever tell his mother that. "Nothin' to be sorry for, Hinata. You're right. I'm becoming... like him." His fists clenched and his chakra flared. Hinata eeped in fear.

"P-please Kiba, stop!" She cried out, clutching him tighter. The Inuzuka took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just... I don't know anymore! He's done so much to hurt so many people. He hurt my mother by leaving her. He hurt my sister by leaving us. He hurt me! He killed most of the members of my clan! He's hurt you... Everything he's ever done has been to hurt people. I want to stop him. I need to stop him. Don't you see, I can stop him Hinata, I can save peoples lives. I can avenge my clan members, I can-"

"Kiba, stop!" Hinata's cry echoed through the room. Even now her neck flushed with colour, but her eyes looked determined. "Kiba, please. Stop this..."

Kiba gently placed her on the side of the bed. She sighed. "I-I'm sorry K-Kiba. But I-I-"

"I understand, Hinata. I'm sorry. I've said that a lot, but I'm sorry."

"I-I'm scared of you, Kiba." She spoke honestly, pushing her long hair out of her face. "Yo-you're becoming obsessed with r-revenge. I want K-Kiba back, not 'Vengeful Kiba'."

He really was stupid. He was pushing everybody away to focus on revenge. He ran away from Sasuke, Naruto and Kurenai-sensei. If he were there, he could of helped them in their fight. He had endangered the life of his teammates by acting recklessly.

"You're right," he decided to lighten the mood, even though on the inside he felt far more depressed than he ever had before. "I mean, 'sides, without me being the funny one Shino would never get that pole out of his ass!"

Hinata giggled lightly, but sort of gave him a cute look. "K-Kiba, don't speak about Shino t-that way."

He grinned wolfishly. Ha, that was a good joke. A pole up Shino's ass... oh dear.

Kiba swallowed down the interesting feeling of blood pulsing to his member, and turned to face Hinata. "I'm g-glad the real K-Kiba's back. Promise me he-he'll stay?" She blushed. He chuckled.

"I promise. I'll never scare you again Hinata, ever. But, I want to ask... was that really your mother?"

The sombre mood returned, and the warmth in Hinata's eyes faded, replaced with an almost imperceptible emotion. Kiba could smell sadness on her, however.

"Y-yes. S-she left after Hanabi was born."

The Inuzuka frowned. "I'm sorry Hinata."

"Yeah."

And then he noticed. She wasn't just withdrawing from him because of his behaviour, she was withdrawing from him because of what her mother said. He couldn't imagine what it felt like, being told you were worthless by your parents like she had been all her life. And hearing that from her mother in the heat of battle. He realised, however, that he did know what it felt like. His father belittled him too. But nowhere near to the extent that Hinata's mother did to her.

The door to his room swung open. Both nin snapped their heads forward to see who was there.

Shino and Neji stood stoically in the doorway. Neji frowned. "Are we interrupting something?" He questioned.

Kiba gulped, and roughly shook his head. "Good. Hinata-sama, I must speak to you in private at once, follow me."

And he left. Hinata nodded towards Kiba, and shyly smiled at Shino, before brushing past him to speak to her cousin.

Shino stared at Kiba for the longest time. The Inuzuka moved fidgeted uncomfortably. Being on the receiving end of a calculated Aburame gaze was probably one of the worst experiences anyone could ever have. "Hey...?" He said uncertainly.

Shino's gaze never wavered. "You made Hinata upset."

Kiba flinched. "How do I know that, you ask? Because my Kikaichu sensed her discomfort and sadness."

"It's really nothing-"

"Do not lie to me Kiba. I heard what happened. You were attacked by the 'Akatsuki' correct?"

The Inuzuka Heir nodded his head. "I couldn't beat them."

Shino moved into the room silently, sitting down beside Kiba on his bed. "No, you could not. Why, you ask? You were being reckless."

"I was not!"

Shino's critical gaze cut through any bravado Kiba had, and he sighed. "Yes, I was."

"Explain to me what happened, please."

Kiba growled under his breath, but spoke clearly, "I smelt my father's scent while goofing around with Naruto. I ran after him, and Hinata followed. We fought, I lost, Gai-sensei rescued us. That's all." He shrugged.

Shino's kikaichu buzzed absentmindedly as the Aburame heir hummed in thought. "I see. I presume you ran headfirst into the battle without thinking at all about the help your teammates could have offered. Not only that, you placed Hinata's well being in danger with your recklessness, and almost got yourself killed." There was an inflection of some sad emotion that Kiba couldn't quite detect in Shino's voice. The normally stoic genin's shoulders were slumped. Wordlessly, he reached for the zipper of his coat and pulled it down slightly, revealing the pale sharp jaw of Shino Aburame.

"You were a fool. You let your personal feelings get in the way of a mission, and almost got one of your teammates killed."

Kiba grunted in acknowledgement. He already felt bad about it, Shino didn't need to rub it in! "I know. Can we drop this."

"No Kiba." His voice had risen, almost challenging. "We need to discuss this."

The dog ninja growled. "We don't Shino! I'm done with it, it's over!"

"Is it? You think you can control yourself? I sensed your chakra and anger flaring when you were talking to Hinata."

"You were spying on us?"

Shino's mouth fell into a grim line. "No, of course not. I sensed it in the courtyard, the amount of chakra was very strong. Everybody sensed it. We assumed that an enemy had infiltrated the area."

Kiba gulped. So now he was scaring more people? Great. "However," Shino began again, the corners of his mouth upturning ever so slightly, "I managed to tell them it was your chakra, and I would deal with you. I would not flare up again. Why, you ask? Tsunade-sama has a rather potent hangover, and as such any major flares of chakra cause 'the pounding of drums' to resonate through her head. I would advise that you do not do it again. Unless you wish to fight one of the legendary Sannin."

"One of the Sannin? The Three Legendary Sannin?"

Shino nodded wordlessly, his mouth resetting itself back into it's usual stoic position. "Back to the topic at hand. You think you can control yourself? You see your father and you bolt. What if that was a mission, what if it resulted in Hinata's death? Your death? Could you live with yourself?"

"Being dead would make that impossible," Kiba snorted. Shino did not laugh. If anything, the corners of his mouth turned lower.

"Do not joke, Kiba." His tone became far more commanding. "You will never do that again. Understand?"

"Bu-"

"Do you understand?"

They faced down, the cool metal of Shino's glasses glaring into Kiba's dark brown eyes. "Yes."

Shino nodded. "Good. I'm glad you will never do that again. Why, you ask? Because losing you would be a horrible fate."

Kiba felt his heart beat faster in his chest. Shino... would miss him?

"I've lost enough these past few weeks, Kiba. I can't lose you, or Hinata. My father died from fate. You have the chance to keep yourself alive. Please, don't turn revengeful. I need you in my life."

Kiba felt a blush crawling up his neck and onto his face. He turned to face Shino, and saw, for the first time in his life, a smile on the boy's face. It was sweet, and gentle. Just like he imagined it would be-

No, he didn't imagine Shino's smile. Never ever ever. Or his lips. Nope, he wasn't going there. No, no, no...

"I'm sorry, you're right." Kiba broke eye-to mouth contact. "I won't be reckless ever again."

Shino seemed.. different for a few moments, his gaze lingering on Kiba's own lips, before he inclined his head to face the wall.

"Good. Losing another precious person... I don't want to think."

Kiba bit his lip in thought. Should he, shouldn't he... His body reached without thinking, his arm reaching over and placing his hand on Shino's thigh. Very, very close to the crotch area.

"K-Kiba..." Did Shino's breath hitch? The sound of it made Kiba get very, very-

"Somebody is coming." Shino inched away from the Inuzuka (Which caused a mixture of relief and sadness to course through both their veins), as the Aburame did up the collar of his coat.

Kiba could only think what it would be like to have touched Shino's bare, white thigh.

* * *

"Hinata-sama, is it true?"

They were down the end of the hallway, away from most of the rooms where people could possibly be in. Hinata's breath hitched. He knew?

"Wh-what's true?"

"Your mother," Neji's voice was grave and low, "Was she here?"

She nodded. Neji's eyes were filled with a mixture of hate, confusion and a small touch of sadness. "I see." He stated blandly, leaning back against the cool wall. "Was she... faring well?"

"W-what?" Hinata said, her eyes widening.

Neji gave her a cool look. "I asked if she was faring well."

"Sh-she attacked us."

"I know. Was she strong?"

"Y-yes...?"

Neji's eyes moved up and down her body. "Hm. You fought? I mean, you engaged in combat with her?"

"Y-yes. I'm sorry." She bowed her head. "I wasn't s-strong enough."

"Of course not. She was one of the best. Surpassed even your father, I believe."

"R-really?" Hinata questioned lightly, desperate to get the topic of her failure.

"Yes. You did not know? I remember my...father," he grimaced, "Telling me when I was little that she had faced off against the Tsuchikage. They fought to a stalemate."

She was that powerful...? To face down a Kage... and her own mother to booth. They really were outmatched.

"They did not tell you this about your mother, Hinata-sama?"

She shook her head. "N-no. I barely remember anything a-about my m-mother. S-she was sick, and was bedridden. She died giving birth to Han-Hanabi..."

Neji's eyes widened. "W-what?" His voice had an incredulous tone to it. "No..." He trailed off, his silvery eyes glinting in the dim light.

He took a deep breath. "Hinata-sama," she braced herself with walls, blocking all her emotions- "Your mother left Konoha ten years ago." All her walls crashed down. She'd been kidding herself. She thought, as stupid and foolish as she was, that some kind of mistake had been made. That it wasn't truly her mother, or someone had impersonated her. Her mother died during childbirth with Hanabi! That's what she had been told! Wait...

"What about Hanabi?"

Neji had never once heard his cousins voice so steadfast, and yet so broken. The tears ran down her pale cheeks. "I-I'm sorry, Hinata-sama. I just assumed... you knew. We all did."

"W-what?" A sob broke her lips, "You all k-knew?"

Neji bowed in sorrow. "I shouldn't have told you, it was not my place. I will accept any punishment Hiashi-sama deals me when we return. I-"

He looked up. She was running down the corridor in tears. "Hinata-sama!"

* * *

Kiba smelled sadness and sorrow before he heard the sobs and sniffles. Shino stood up from his seated position, Kikai escaping from his coat. "It's Hinata." He stated blandly, although his hands were curled into fists inside his coat pockets.

"What!?" Kiba growled, standing up. "What has that bastard done to her!?"

Akamaru finally stirred from his position curled up at the end of the bed, growling under his breath as he jumped down to be at his master's side.

Hinata finally came into view of the open door, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were swollen and red, and her once beautiful complexion was wet and sorrowful. She paused briefly, letting out the choked sob of "I'm s-sorry." Before she ran once more.

Neji came by soon after, practically leaping into the room. "Is Hinata-sama in-"

He was cut off as Kiba charged him, slamming the Hyuga into the wall as his forearm pressed against his throat. "You bastard! What the hell have you done to her!?"

Neji struggled to breath against the strength of the Inuzuka. "I've done nothing mutt," he raspely got out. Kiba pushed harder on his throat.

"Liar! Tell me-"

Kiba's shin burned with pain as Neji's foot smacked into it. With a cry, he was struck in the shoulder, sending him stumbling backwards.

The Hyuuga branch member stood defiant. "I'm sorry for attacking you, but I will not be accused of something I have not done. Stand down."

Kiba growled. "Make me asshole!" He roared, ready to attack once more.

Shino placed a hand on the Inuzuka's shoulder, shooting both of them a pointed gaze. "Stop this. Why, you ask? Hinata will be more upset if you two beat each other to bloody pulps. We need to find and comfort her. What did you say, Neji?"

Neji mumbled under his breath, but stood tall and confident. "I am sorry. That is Hyuga clan business, Aburame."

"Not when it involves our teammate, Hyuga." He challenged, kikai buzzing around his head.

Neji faltered briefly, but remained defiant. "I cannot tell you. We need to find Hinata."

"I'll go get Kurenai-sensei," Kiba growled in Neji's direction, before rushing past him, making sure to bump shoulders with him along the way. Akamaru trailed behind his master, nipping at Neji's shoe before continuing.

"Whatever you did Hyuga, if she doesn't recover from this it'll be in your head. Why, you ask? I gathered from her chakra that she was already severely depressed and lacking in confidence, much more than she has recently. You've made it worse."

"I apologize... I didn't know."

"Look harder next time. Or Kiba won't be the only one attacking you."

With that cold threat, Shino walked past him. "We may be teammates now, but I'll never forget what you did to Hinata. Remember that." And he was gone.

Neji took a deep breath, before he exited the room. He would go look for Hinata-sama later. After walking, he reached the room he was looking for. The door was open, and the small sobs of a girl rang throughout the hallway. Neji grimaced, knowing who it was almost immediately. He let her have her privacy, slowly turning around and walking back. His footsteps were as dull as he felt.

* * *

**And there we go! So, it's been awhile since I've had one of these my thoughts on the chapter type deal. So, here we go. I really enjoyed writing the Tenten and Tsunade confrontation scene. It was a lot of fun to do. And it just flowed out of me. I think in some places it becomes stunted to a degree, so I'll need to work on that. But yeah, enjoyed writing that scene.**

**The yaoi scene was my first foray into that sort of lime area, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I know it's really, really short, but it was an experiment. A fun one at that.**

**We then get the confrontation/talk with Tsunade and Naruto. I had a lot of trouble writing this, and you may be able to tell it's slightly rushed as the scene ends. It just refused to come out of me (dirty, dirty mind...), I don't know why. I had to write the rest of the chapter and come back to it.**

**Now, the Kiba/Hinata talk was also difficult, but for a number of different reasons. Mainly because I couldn't decide on what Hinata would do when Kiba started going on a revenge rant. I was going to have her slap him like she does to Naruto in canon, but I didn't think she would be that confident. I was also going to have them fall over and accidentally kiss, but scrapped that idea as well. In the end I went for the raising of the voice. Thanks to KiyumiArashi for helping me out with that!**

**Now, the stuff with Kiba/Shino just... wow, that's so easy to write. I love writing for the other pairings, but this pairing just clicks with me. I could write about it for hours. It's so much fun working with these two particular characters. I dunno, but they're my favourite couple so far in this story. In fairness, I've not written many of the other couples, apart from ShikaIno (Which we haven't seen in forever, might I add!), so I can't say it'll be my favourite of all time. But, for now it is.**

**Neji and Hinata was good to write too. Nothing else really to talk about with it. It was simple. Same with the last scene. **

**And that's that! I'll see you for chapter 29! Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	29. Chapter 29: 250 Reviews Spectacular!

WoC 250 Review One-Shot spectacular!

* * *

**Hello everybody, and welcome to Chapter 29 of the Winds of Change, 250 Review Special!**

**Well, it's been amazing. In only two months we've gone from 100 reviews to 250. 150 reviews in such a short space of time? Amazing. Utterly incredible, thank you guys so much for taking the time out of your day to read this story. I know it's not the greatest, and I know I need to improve on things *CoughfightscenesCough*, but overall I'd say I've improved since the start, right? And I'm going to get even better, as I now have a teacher, well, teaching me! But enough of my blabbering, let me explain to you the layout of this chapter. First off, we're going to have my long-ass list of shout-out/thank you's to all my readers. Then, I'm going to detail a competition I'm going to be holding. And finally, since you can't upload just an author's note, you're going to be given a rather short NaruHina one-shot. So, feel free to skip to anyone of those things.**

**Right, so, first off, let's get done with the major shout-outs:**

**KiyumiArashi: Been here with me since forever. One of my best friends, and an awesome writer, always willing to give me feedback and help.**

**DownsofFire: My bro of bros. This dude is awesome, someone I consider one of my best friends and trust explicity. And he's hysterical, if I do say so myself. If you haven't already, go check out his OC story, Absent Serpent. It's really very good. If you like my work, then you'll love his!**

**DaughterofMania: Another amazing friend! She's been rather busy with exams at the moment, so she hasn't had time to catch up. When she does though, I've just gotta say, you're awesome! I love your reviews, and you as a person! Good luck with all your work!**

**rabid-behemoth: Ah, someone who I'd call one of my closest friends. She'll tell me if I've made a fool of myself, my writing is shitty, or if I'm just being stupid. She's blunt, very, very blunt. But, that makes her ten times more awesome! Keep up the good work sensei!**

**PandaBot3000: Here's another amazing bro. Probably one of the fastest reviews of WoC, and overall a fantastic person. Again with the shameless plugging, check out his semi-OC story Ino: Shipudden. It's really good, and has a fantastic blend of canon characters and OC's.**

**That's about it for the super honourable mentions. The next list of people are those that have helped me tremendously also:**

**emmawalters090**

**Kiyo-Chyan**

**whye-lily15**

**sklt90 (Another honourable mention. She's been great in giving me constructive criticism!)**

**darkphye**

**Twist Musalih**

**xXxKuromixXx**

**Narutolover0002**

**janiisaur**

**And I think that's it! I apologize if I missed anyone, I think I got all the super important ones, though.**

* * *

**Okay, so, here's the next part of this particular chapter. A special competition. As some of you may, or may not know, I've noticed after a few helpful insights that I've not really done much character development for my OC's. For this, I do apologize. I know how long this first arc (Yes, first, we're still there) has been. The other arcs won't be nearly as long, I promise. This one... got out of hand. But, back to the point. This arc hasn't really given me much to work with in terms of character development. I've had people say things about Kataki, Kura and Tali. And they're correct. So, I'm working on trying to make them more likeable, with more detail. However, this arc needs to be over for that to happen. And it will be soon. Give me... two or so chapters, and we'll be at the assault. That should take a while, so by Chapter 40 (Holy shit so long (That's what she said)) this arc should finally be over. And then, major character development time. After we get all one-hundred and fifty two fight scenes out of the way. Good god that's going to be hard. I'm being trained though! So, it's all good.**

**And I've gone off-topic. Yay. Back to the point the original point. So, a decent way to develop characters is to give them a romance. Since Katakia already has one (Sakura) and Kura... well, that's very self explanatory, that leaves Tali. Now, I could pair her up with one of the canon boys. Sasuke, or Gaara perhaps? Yeah, doubt that would work. If I get major super requests for one of those pairings, then I might consider it, but I highly doubt it. So, no canon characters are really available. What to do? Well, I have the solution! We're going to be having an OC contest, the winner getting Tali as a love interest!**

**Now, a few rules first. One, make your character as detailed as you want, but leave some things for me to work with by myself. Give me some liberties that allow me to define the character myself a tad. However, I'll work all this out to the winner. Two, this character must be a girl. Yes, that's correct, this will be a lesbian romance. Why, you ask? Well, let me tell you:**

**Over in America there has been big shit going down with LGBT rights, and whether it is legal for homosexual couples to get married. So, that got me thinking. I'm already representing gay males with Kiba and Shino, why not represent homosexual females? And, well, to be honest, I also did this for the male readers of WoC. It's a common fact that females prefer Yaoi, and men prefer Yuri, correct? So, naturally, since the female readers may get pleasure out of KibaShino, I feel I should give back to the men who have been nice and courageous enough to read through the yaoi scenes and not complain. I'm not saying it's going to turn into the 'Lesbian Smut' fanfiction, but there will be kinky scenes, hetero, yuri or yaoi. So, you guys have something cool to look forward too.**

**A couple more quick things about the character herself. I would prefer if this character doesn't reside in the Hidden Leaf Village. Why? Because it makes things more entertaining and fun, allows me to explore different cultures as a writer, ect. So, I would like for you to make the character from a different Hidden Village. If I have any preferences, it would be either Kiri, Kumo or Iwa. I don't really mind what village it is, but I think it could be interesting to work with those settings.**

**Also, this girl must be a civilian. I want to try and write a romance without both characters being ninja. Daily life has it's perils too, and I want to explore them. However, her job should be something exotic. Acrobat, vet, dancer, courier, inventor, monk, ect. Something different and fun!**

**Anyway, here is the application form for you to fill out:**

**Name:**

**Age:**

**Gender: Female**

**Home Village:**

**Birthday:**

**Appearance:**

**Hair Color/Length/Style:**

**Eye Color:**

**Skin Tone:**

**Build/Body Type:**

**Any Unique Markings/Scars/Tattoos:**

**Any Jewelry:**

**Outfit:**

**Personality:**

**Sexuality: (Obviously she's a lesbian, but you can change whether she is out or not, what she thinks about being out or not, ect.)**

**Relationship: (This means how you would like the relationship to progress between them. Does she take everything at face value, very hard and stony to begin with, very touchy-feely, ect.)**

**Goal:**

**Habits:**

**Fears:**

**Right, okay! So, that's about it for this long-ass authors note. Actually, hold on, spur of the moment thing here. Let's have a Q&A. Nothing spectacular, nothing fancy. Just ask me any questions about myself, my opinions on characters/pairings/plotlines/things in Naruto, or about anything you may be wondering about WoC. It's nothing major though, so if you don't have to do it.**

**So, that's it. I present you with this rather short NaruHina one-shot, and we'll talk more at the end. See ya!**

* * *

NaruHina: Procreate:

* * *

Hinata was not as quiet as she once was. Sure, she still stuttered on occasion, and her confidence was still rather low, she spoke louder, and more precise. She opted however, for tonight, to stay quiet.

A Hyuga family dinner was a very, very formal affair. You were forced to wear formal clothing, and only speak when spoken too, more or less. Hinata had attended many during her youth, and would likely attend many more. However, this was the first one with her husband, Naruto Uzumaki. Complete with his orange and black cape, and orange and black jumpsuit. She had to stifle a giggle when they walked in, as her father and Neji's eyes widened.

She opted to stay quiet to see how Naruto would handle the situation.

It was cute the way his shimmering blue eyes shone with pride every time he looked upon her. She always felt the light dusting of pink on her cheeks as her face heated up. Okay, so, she hadn't exactly stopped the blushing yet. She would though. Soon. Sometime. Maybe.

She was rather happy to see her sister looking in top form. She had swiftly turned from the sweet six year old girl to a feisty thirteen year old teenager. Who, funnily enough, had a crush on Shino. Who was gay. It was rather amusing. She kept swearing she could convert him. Even Naruto had given up explaining it doesn't work like that. And he never gave up anything.

Hanabi was sitting across from Hinata, shooting sly subtle winks every time Naruto looked at her. Beside her sat Neji's wife, Temari, the brother of the Kazekage, and rather... interesting addition to the family. This was demonstrated as Temari smacked Neji over the head, berating him for some as of yet unknown reasoning. Hinata rolled her eyes. Those two were always bickering, but they did truly care about each other.

This was rather obvious, considering the two year old baby boy sat in a high chair chewing messily on his food making gurgling sounds. "That sounds like you Naruto," Hanabi quipped.

Naruto just smiled sweetly at his younger sister of two years. Without warning, a piece of fish was hurridly thrown across the table, into the lap of Hanabi. She grimaced.

Hiashi sat at the head of the table, his head in his hands. Hinata couldn't really blame him. Being stuck with the loud Rokudaime as a step-son would be rather troubling. Not to mention his shy daughter, stoic nephew, his loud brass wife, their two year old son, and a thirteen year old pre-teen girl. He didn't really need much else on his plate.

Hinata touched her stomach gently, before she tucked into her rice. Life was good. It truly was. She just wondered which person would castrate Naruto first. Her father, Neji, or Hanabi? Ah, but she would always be there to protect her loving husband. Just as long as he didn't name their children Ramen. She would not stand for that...

* * *

**And there we go! That's all for now! Either send me a PM or leave your OC form in a review. Thank you all for supporting me this far, we couldn't have gotten anywhere near this without you guys. Here's to 300 in the near future! Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**

**Zerojackson.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hello everybody, and welcome to chapter thirty of the Winds of Change! How is everybody today? I'm good! So, here we are, chapter 30! It's been one hell of an adventure, and I've gathered a ton of new reviewers as of this post, so that's awesome! I would like to thank my beta LuckyGem, for helping me out with this chapter!**

**I should point out that this chapter may be expanded on. Nothing major, just some more character thoughts, extensions of scenes, ect. So, if you wish to wait till then, then fair enough. I shall be commencing that tomorrow. That's about it, actually. So, without further ado, I present to you, the Winds of Change!**

* * *

Chapter 30:

* * *

There was one window in the room. It was the only source of illumination, the only source of light. The orange rays of sunlight slowly darkening as the afternoon drifted on. A pair of onyx eyes watched emotionlessly, taking in every little thing. The green grass, the plants, the cabbage patch. Every single speck of dust that crossed Sasuke Uchiha's eyeline he noticed. Simply because he could. And because it made the pain go away.

Even with nobody in the room his arms were crossed in a defensive posture, his eyes and body alert.

The room he was currently in was barren, with grey walls. A single lamp was tucked into the corner, flickering softly. A hard, creaky bed lay against the far wall.

Sasuke leaned forward, clasping his hands together. Taking a deep breath, he tried to close his eyes again. He was immediately assaulted by visions of death, blood and guts. He flinched, his eyes whizzing open. He breathed heavily for a few moments, sweat forming on his brow. He wiped it away.

"Sasuke."

The Uchiha stiffened, his hand almost on instinct reaching for his kunai pouch. His obsidian eyes quickly absorbed the form of his sensei, and somewhat relaxed.

Kakashi leaned against the door frame, a calculating eye gazing at the back of Sasuke's head as the Uchiha turned once more to face the window. His usual orange book was nowhere in sight.

"Sasuke," Kakashi stated again, not moving from his leaning position. Sasuke grunted.

The Copy Nin repressed a sigh. "We can stand here all night, you know."

"Hn. I can. You can't."

Well, he had gotten him to speak at least. "So, I hear things went bad-"

"Drop it." The inflection in Sasuke's voice was one of rage as he turned on his sensei, eyes ablaze with cold flame. And drenched in sadness.

"Sasuke-"

"I said drop it!" The Uchiha's eyes unfurled into what they were famous for: the Sharingan. Kakashi did not move. He did not flinch. Instead, he eye-smiled.

They stood in silence for a few moments, Sasuke's unyielding glower never wavering. Eventually though, Kakashi moved. He strode past Sasuke, and collapsed onto the hard bed with a deflated sigh. Sasuke turned his head to the side slightly. The Copy Nin suppressed a chuckle.

Kakashi lifted himself up so his back was leaning against the wall, and patted next to him. Sasuke's look would have probably killed Kakashi. But, Kakashi was so 'hip and cool' as Gai would say, it didn't affect him. "Sit. We have much to discuss."

Sasuke grunted, going back over to his window. Kakashi watched, and waited.

The Uchiha's gaze soon snapped backwards. "Stop staring at me." He demanded. Kakashi's single eye gleamed, and patted the same spot again.

Sasuke released a frustrated sigh, hotly spinning around as he stomped over to the bed. He sat at the opposite end, far away from Kakashi, his arms and legs both crossed. "So, what's up?"

Sasuke looked at Kakashi, angrily huffed, and turned away. Kakashi rolled his visible eye.

"You were attacked, right?"

Sasuke took a moment to respond, but nodded.

"I see. You drove off the attacker, correct?"

Again, the Uchiha nodded, his stanceslowly relaxing.

"So you saved a lot of lives."

He stiffened. "No."

"You didn't?"

"No." Sasuke gritted, his hands balling into fists. "I didn't."

"You did. If this guy had been allowed to rampage he would have killed tons of civilians. You saved lots of lives, Sasuke."

"I didn't!" With a roar, he stood up. "I let them die! I wasn't strong enough to save any of them. They all died because I was weak!" He punched the wall sharply, the sound reverberating through the room.

Kakashi's expression remained devoid of any emotion. "You probably broke that."

Sasuke's reply was a grimace of begrudging pain as he clutched his wounded hand.

"Anyway, where were you before you decided to take your anger out on a guests house?" Kakashi gave the Uchiha a condescending look. "Ah yes."

Kakashi turned serious, sighing as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You saved a lot of lives Sasuke. But you can't save them all."

"If I had been stronger-"

"Then what? The fight would have lasted longer? Kurenai explained everything to me. You wouldn't have made it."

"But..." Sasuke was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say. "Ah!" he growled as he launched his foot into the wall defiantly. "I couldn't save them!"

"Sasuke, calm down," Kakashi commanded. "Listen to me."

Sasuke released a 'Hn', before he leaned against the wall, his posture guarded. "Speak."

Kakashi frowned. "I... understand what you're going through Sasuke. You lost innocent people you were trying to protect. It hurts. It will always hurt, and it's never going to get easier. But you tried. And you saved people. You can never save them all Sasuke, never. But you can save some."

"But... it was so vivid."

Kakashi's eye widened at the quiet, almost fearful tone Sasuke's voice had taken. The way his onyx eyes shone with depression. "It's the dreams again, isn't it."

Sasuke flinched. That was all the proof needed.

"It reminded you of... that night?"

Sasuke's nod was slow, and Kakashi was sure the Uchiha's head only moved a fraction of an inch. "I see," The Copy Ninja intoned. "We need to talk about them."

Sasuke scoffed. "Please, spare me the counselling."

"It's not about counselling. If you think I'm giving you pity, Sasuke, then that's not it. If these nightmares affect your abilities as a shinobi, then we'll have to formally discharge you from the ranks."

"You can't!" Sasuke shouted angrily. "I..." He paused slightly, his face morphing from rage into a different shell altogether. One of vengeance. Cold, fiery vengeance.

Kakashi shook his head. "Sasuke, how far have you truly fallen?"

It was painful to see his student like this. So, vengeful. Revenge never solved anything. Sasuke didn't see that. He had hoped, had silently prayed that the Uchiha would see outside of the darkness he cloaked himself in. He would be enlightened, be saved.

And he had been making strides. Sasuke was interacting with Naruto more. He was becoming softer. His relationship with Naruto was purely rivalry on the outside, but on the inside... it was a brotherly bond. A deep bond that both parties would always refuse to acknowledge. But it was there, just like his rivalry with Obito. Perhaps Minato-sensei saw that too.

What surprised him more than anything, though, was the bizarre relationship he had struck up with Hinata. It was utterly unfathomable, that the quiet meek Hyuuga heir would become friends with the cold stoic Uchiha. It sounded like something in a cheesy novel. But, it was there. Nowhere as deep or complex as Sasuke's relationship with Naruto, but it was there. A part of him, the more cynical, logical part of him was worried for the girl. Could Sasuke be using her somehow? The more gentle side of the Copy Ninja, however, ruthlessly pushed that idea aside. Sasuke may have been a misguided anxiety stuck-up proud teen, but he wasn't truly bad. Just misguided. Living by yourself with such feelings of hate and loathing must have been tough.

There was pang of guilt in Kakashi's chest. Perhaps he could have helped? No, he certainly could have helped. Somehow.

"Tell me about them."

Sasuke's inky eyes hardened, like he was trying to block all forms of emotion from leaking out of his eyes. "Why do you care sensei?"

"Exactly the reason you just stated. I'm your sensei."

"Hn, of course. Just mine, then?"

Kakashi froze. "Pardon?"

Sasuke sneered. "You heard me, sensei. Just mine then, right?"

Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive manner. "I'm not sure what you're actually implying Sasuke-"

"You do!" With a snake-like hiss the Uchiha walked forward, his dark eyes swimming with anger. "You ignore them."

"Who-"

"Naruto and Sakura."

It hit Kakashi like a ton of bricks. Sasuke... cared about his teammates this much. No, he must have heard wrong-

Sasuke continued, oblivious to the barrage of emotions boiling in Kakashi's head. "You never pay any attention to them. You don't think I've noticed? How is that fair Kakashi, how is that fair!? I don't need any help, I never have and I never will!"

The Uchiha gritted his teeth in irritation as he spun around, marching over to the window once more, leaving a stunned Kakashi. "W-what-" Was all Kakashi could get out.

"I care very little for people, Kakashi. I lost all of the feeling in my chest when my family were torn away from me by that bastard. And yet, sometimes I feel it. I feel something in my chest. Something different to hate." His eyes swung backwards, catching Kakashi and shocking him with their intensity. "Whatever it is, part of me wants to extinguish it. And part of me wants to protect it. Naruto, that dobe, Sakura, as annoying as she is, and Hinata, who needs to get that stutter sorted out, all give me this feeling."

Kakashi was still floored. He had miscalculated about Sasuke's feelings. This was apparent.

"I've blocked this feeling, and blocked the annoying thing you do with the team, but no longer. If I'm not fit to be a shinobi, then you're not fit to be a leader damn it!"

Sasuke paused, taking a deep breath. "You don't think I've noticed how you only pay attention to me during training? How you only teach me things. You taught me Chidori, and that explosive technique. You taught them how to climb a tree. You corrected my shuriken and kunai throwing abilities. You taught them to work together. You taught me how to fight. You taught them nothing. Do you not find this unfair? I do not need help! I am an Uchiha! He is a dobe, and she is a civilian!" Sasuke seethed. "You are not a teacher! This is a cell, correct? We're meant to be a cell, a cohesive unit. And yet you try and split us apart!"

Reflectively Kakashi's gaze flickered downwards shamefully. If Sasuke, probably the most stuck-up teenager in the entire Hidden Leaf Village noticed how bad a teacher he was, then what did everybody else think? That he was a failure as a shinobi and a teacher. "You're right." Was all he said, the bland tone in his voice completely at odds with his usual aloof persona.

Something flickered through Sasuke's obsidian eyes, as he gripped the edge of the window-sill. "Hn. I dislike making deals, but this is for... a good cause. I'll make you a deal, sensei. If you agree to actually try to train the Dobe and Sakura, then I'll tell you about my 'debilitating' dreams."

Kakashi looked upwards. "Deal," he answered instantly. A ghost of a smirk crossed Sasuke's pale complexion.

Kakashi certainly felt bizarre, making a deal with his genin. How far he had fallen? He quickly replaced the burning of regret in his chest with an eye-smile. "Now now Sasuke, let Dr. Kakashi help you out."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he scowled deeply. "Fine." He pushed his back off the window-sill, slowly stalking over to the Copy Nin. He sat down at the edge of the bed. "Let's get this over with."

Kakashi went to speak, but Sasuke interrupted him once again, "And you need to help get the Dobe and Hinata together."

Kakashi blinked. "Why?"

"Why? Because her googly eyes piss me off. And he needs someone to distract him from shouting at me all the time."

"Oh. I thought you were getting along so well. I mean, sleeping in the same house, same bed-"

"Cohesive Unit."

"You slept in the same bed so you could form a cohesive unit? Kinky-"

"Cohesive. Unit."

"Uh-huh," Kakashi rolled his eyes.

The silence that followed was thick with tension and anger. "So, you going to speak?" The Copy Ninja asked his student.

Sasuke merely turned his gaze to Kakashi. With a sigh, the Jonin said. "Okay, I'll start. How long have you been having these nightmares?

"Since my family was slaughtered."

"How often?"

"Every night."

"Every night? Throughout the entire night?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On how bad the images are."

Sasuke's answers were quick and fluid, no tone of inflection. They were sharp, cold, and fast. He expected this.

"During the night?"

"The day."

Kakashi's eye widened as he leaned forward from his slouched position so he was on the edge of the bed. "You get images during the day."

"Pictures and visions. Yes. Sometimes. Only when I see death. I was absent the day after the attack, wasn't I?"

Kakashi racked his brain. That seemed so long ago. Only a week ago where they training with Sakura, and now... they were here. "Yes. You said you were still recovering from your injuries."

"Hn. My injuries were fine. I needed to collect myself." Sasuke stood up suddenly. "We're done here. Leave."

Kakashi didn't fight like he should have. He merely nodded, standing upwards and slowly striding towards the door, as Sasuke resumed his place at the windowsill, staring out into the afternoon. He paused briefly. "I am sorry, Sasuke. For everything."

Kakashi left. And Sasuke Uchiha continued his absent gaze out the window, and into the darkening sky.

* * *

Jiraiya always found it amusing how people assumed that 'heroes' were different to them. That they did heroic things everyday, that they fought evil and defended justice all the time. In fact, they didn't. To call him a hero would be absurd. He wasn't a hero, not at all.

So, while it would surprise others, it did not surprise him that he was taking a stroll down a nice path. It was lucky he headed towards the community gardens. The rest of the town was rather drab and uninteresting, in his opinion.

With his mane of white hair, and cheeky grin, Jiraiya was enjoying his stroll. His partner was not.

Tsunade Senju was stunningly beautiful, no matter how hard you tried to deny it. Jiraiya certainly didn't. With her sharp amber eyes and flowing golden hair, the Toad Sage didn't really mind if she punched him for staring. He wouldn't be able to turn away anyway. And even if it was just an illusion, she was still beautiful. With or without her genjutsu.

"Did you follow me for a reason Jiraiya?" She snapped irritably, as they passed by a mass of bushes, all intricately cut into different shapes. Jiraiya smiled as he spotted the symbol for Konoha. How cute.

"Well, I wanted to talk Hime."

Tsunade scowled at Jiraiya's pet name for her, unconsciously swatting at her neck as she felt a blush creep up it. "Well, piss off."

The Toad Sennin just smiled. "Whatever you say. Where exactly are we heading?"

A tick mark appeared on Tsunade's forehead, as she whirled around. "Go away Jiraiya!"

"Hm, once you tell me what's wrong, sure."

"There is nothing wrong Jiraiya. Go away. Now."

The Toad Sannin's white eyebrow went upwards slightly. "You sure Hime?"

"Positive. Piss. Off."

Jiraiya smiled. "Okay Hime, whatever you say."

To Tsunade's surprise, he turned and began to walk away. A pang of guilt struck her heart. While Jiraiya was a perverted, annoying asshole, he was only trying to help. How long had it been since they had seen each other? A couple of years at least. She felt her resolve harden. No, she wouldn't. She didn't need Jiraiya, he was part of Konoha! And she didn't need that place anymore.

"I visited his grave before I left."

Tsunade froze, her hand moving to her chest. She stared at Jiraiya's white mane as he continued to walk away. He paused. "He wouldn't want his sister acting like this."

If he wasn't one of the Legendary Sannin, he probably wouldn't have picked up the whoosh of air. Spinning around, he just managed to dodge the destructive punch of Tsunade. "You don't know anything!"

Jiraiya scowled in annoyance, gripping Tsunade's arm as he twisted it. She let out a cry of pain. It quickly subsided, in its place rage. Tsunade kicked her foot to the side. It slammed into Jiraiya, knocking the breath out of him as he was sent flying backwards. He felt the bark splinter behind him as he broke through the tree trunk. With a grimace, rolled backwards, he landed on his feet. "Are we really going to do this, Tsunade?"

The Senju Princess angrily marched through the broken remains of what was once a proud tree, scowling. "You don't know anything Jiraiya!" She sped forward, her balled fist cocked backwards for a punch.

Jiraiya dusted himself off, and charged. With a whizz of energy, they collided. Not in the way the Toad Sennin was expecting, though.

Tsunade gripped his shoulders, tears running down her face. "What!?" He yelled.

His answer was a loud stamp as he felt his toes breaking. "Quiet Jiraiya. Please..."

Gritting his teeth through the pain, he did as he was told. And he held his Hime.

* * *

It took awhile for the usually unflappable Slug Princess to calm down. Jiraiya was still shocked in the first place. "Shh," he soothed awkwardly. They were standing in the same spot, the broken shards of bark and branches still across from him. What a bizarre day it had been.

"You going to tell me what's wrong now?" He asked quietly. She looked up at him, wiping her tear filled eyes. And just like that, she changed from a bawling wreck into the hardass woman he knew she was.

"No." She pushed him away. "Sit down."

"Why-"

"I'm fixing your toes. Sit down before I break your legs." Jiraiya shrugged and did what he was told.

Tsunade immediately set to work, her hands glowing with green chakra as she probed his foot. "Certainly broken a few. This shouldn't take long."

He wasn't going to complain. He had a decent view of her cleavage from his vantage point as she bent over...

Sadly, there were some more pressing issues he needed to deal with. Only by the slightest margin, though. "Tsunade, you need to tell me what's going on. As fun as it was watching you rip into that brat, you need to explain what that other girl was going on about."

Tsunade paused for a long second, before she continued working on his foot. After a good few moments, she said, "I got really drunk last night. Totally pissed, to the point I could barely stand."

Jiraiya snorted, that sounded just like his Hime! A pointed glare quickly silenced him, though. "Apparently I started ranting about how I wasn't going to help this Rock Lee kid. She caught most of the rant. So, she confronted me today."

Tsunade's breath became shaky, and she sighed deeply. "She called me out. Told me how I was her idol, and how she respected me. Then she called me a washed up old hag, who didn't deserve to be called a Konoha shinobi, and threatened to kill me."

"Ah, teenagers these days. So full of hormones, " Jiraiya tried to laugh the situation off. It didn't work.

"She was right, though. I'm a medical ninja, and yet I can't help the sick because I'm scared shitless. I can't do anything because of Dan and Nawaki's deaths!"

She finished healing him, and stood up abruptly, her face down-trodden. She turned to walk away, but Jiraiya shot forward and grabbed her hand.

"Hime, you're not worthless. You're a beautiful woman, and a fantastic ninja. Perhaps it's time to let go of the past, and look to the future. You can't keep living like this, wandering." She snorted at that. "Wandering without a goal. You wander and wander, until...what? You die? That's no way to live, Tsunade. Stop running."

"Heh, admirable goals Jiraiya. But ones I cannot adhere too. I'm sorry."

Without warning, Tsunade leaned in, and pressed a soft kiss to Jiraiya's cheek. The Toad Sage froze. Finally, after a few pulse-pounding seconds, the Slug Princess pulled back.

"Goodbye Jiraiya." She gulped slightly, the smallest of blushes dusting her cheeks as she turned around and walked off.

Jiraiya stood in the same spot, stock still, for fifteen minutes, before yelling out "Yahoo!"

* * *

The sun was still blaring downwards as Tsunade casually walked back towards her house. She hated the sun. It was so bright, and made everything so hot, all of the time. And since it was summer, it would stay out for ages...

The Senju Princess quickly shook her head. Talking about the weather with someone else was stupid enough. Thinking about the weather? That was borderline idiotic. It wasn't like she was trying to blot anything out of her mind.

It was rather hard to kick out a kiss from one's mind, and as hard as she tried she just couldn't do it. Jiraiya was... someone she cared for. Deeply. She tried to deny it, who wouldn't? He was a perverted fool. But, he was her perverted fool. _Hers_. Her perverted fool. The sound of 'her' in correlation with 'perverted fool' sent a bizarre emotion fluttering through her chest. Something she hadn't felt since-

The cold jab of pain was almost welcoming compared to the heat. Almost. Of course, she was still in love with Dan. Always would be. She couldn't imagine loving that idiot. She quickly reassured herself she must still be intoxicated. Yeah, that was it.

She furiously tried to hide the memory that she had used her special 'Hangover Away' Jutsu.

Tsunade came across her front garden the same way she left it.

With his golden hair, Naruto Uzumaki was brawling with one of his shadow clones. His signature jumpsuit was damp with sweat, his tanned skin absorbing the sunlight. With his cerulean eyes, he anticipated a blow by his clone, dodging to the side. With a war shout, he cocked his fist back and fired away. There was a puff of smoke as the clone _poofed_ out of existence. The teenage blonde panted heavily, raising his fist in victory. Tsunade rolled her eyes.

The blonde collapsed on the ground, sighing slightly as he pulled off his jumpsuit top. His rather scrawny appearance was coated in sweat, as he stretched his short arms. He was obviously slightly malnourished, from what Tsunade could tell.

Naruto's eyes quickly snapped to Tsunade as she stared at him, his mouth forming a scowl. "Go away old lady," he muttered, reaching into a pack that lay by his side.

Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest. The nerve of this little shit. She was not old! But she held her tongue. If he truly was the son of Minato, perhaps he would do something amazing. Perhaps she was trying to distract herself from Jiraiya, she wasn't really sure.

Naruto stuck his tongue out in concentration as he rummaged around in his pack. "Aha!" The teenage blonde quickly pulled out a small container. Unscrewing the lid, he smiled at whatever was inside, and dipped his fingers into it. It was a goopy balm of some kind, and Naruto quickly rubbed it into his palms. He then began running his hands over his body.

Tsunade cocked her eyebrow. A healing ointment? She chuckled loudly. She didn't think the brat would have the forethought to actually bring something to heal himself.

"What are you chuckling at hag!"

A tick mark formed on the Senju Princess' head. "Quiet brat! I was just wondering how an idiot like you managed to remember to bring some healing balm."

Naruto scowled. "I'm not stupid you know! And besides, Hinata gave it to me!"

"Oh, the quiet girl? Hm, she looked clever enough, I suppose."

"She is clever!"

Oh, how cute! The scrawny little blonde boy was defending the shy Hyuga. What a cheesy novel her life was now turning out to be. "Yeah, sure, whatever."

"She made this you know." He shook his head vigorously. "From plants and things."

Something about this statement intrigued Tsunade. It was very rare for a kunoichi of her age to be able to make some healing balm. And, it was even harder to make it remotely effective. She strolled over, sweetly smiling at the blonde. "Give me some of that, please?"

Naruto clenched his ointment, scooting himself backwards. "No! It belongs to me and Hinata!"

"You stupid brat!"

What followed was quick and simple. Tsunade flicked the blonde in the forehead, placing enough chakra into it to cause him a minor headache. And, maybe a couple minutes paralysis. As he went limp, she reached down and picked up the ointment, as Naruto spluttered loudly, swearing vengeance.

Tsunade paid no mind to the blonde, although she resolved cut his vocal chords next time. Instead, she focused on the balm in her hand. She lightly probed it with chakra, checking its healing capabilities. It was very easy to create balms that would hinder the body. Lock up joints, slow reaction rates, all manner of things. While she didn't suspect the shy girl would do anything to the loud blonde, who was still shouting. But, perhaps she could have been given it by someone trying to sabotage the blonde. Not that she cared or anything. To her surprise, it turned out to be rather effective. In fact, it was so effective, she reckoned the blonde would be back on his feet soon enough. This was... incredible. It was just the right mix of certain herbs and flowers to create a perfect compound to heal bruises and sore joints.

"Does your friend have anymore of these?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto stopped his ranting briefly, frowning in thought. "Uh, yeah. She told me that one was for bruises, and the other one was for cuts, and - hey, what are you doing!"

The Senju Princess easily managed to find the other ointment Naruto was talking about and unscrewed the top. Deciding to shut the blonde up, she absent-mindedly threw the top to the side. It landed in Naruto's mouth, cutting off his communication to simple grunts. She probed the other balm, and, unsurprisingly, found it to be excellent. She hummed in thought.

This girl had managed to create medical balms that rivalled even a senior medical ninja. Only perhaps Shizune was better, but she also dealt with poisons.

"Is Jiraiya training your friend, too!"

Naruto let out a muffled yell. Tsunade frowned. "Just nod your head yes if he is."

Another muffled yell. Oh, yes, she paralysed him.

Well then, looks like, sadly, she was going to have to steal an apprentice from Jiraiya. How sad.

"Uh, is everything alright, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade inclined her head to the side.

Kurenai's wine-coloured eyes were a mixture of horror and curiosity as she examined the scene before her. Her hands covered in shopping bags, she could only shake her head.

"Everything is fine. I was just inquiring about the young Hyuuga he hangs out with all the time."

"Hinata? She is my student. What would you like to know, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade smirked. "I want your student as my apprentice."

Kurenai balked slightly. "P-pardon, my lady?"

"I want Hinata Hyuuga as my student. She's exceptionally gifted with medical balms, and most likely with herbal remedies."

"I apologize Tsunade-sama, but I will have to refuse. The Hyuuga clan would never allow their heir to be taken on as an apprentice. Perhaps if you came back to Konoha..."

Ooh, a sly kunoichi. She hadn't seen one of them in a while. "Your slyness is best suited somewhere else," Tsunade snapped. "But I respect it. And your decision. A shame, she showed much promise. However, while she remains in my house, I wish to instruct her and see her potential. Refusal is not an option," the busty Sennin added after Kurenai opened her mouth to argue. The raven haired woman sighed, but nodded.

"Yes Tsunade-sama, that is fine."

Tsunade smiled slightly, her amber eyes shining. "Excellent. Find her and tell her to come meet me in half an hour in the room with the wooden walls. She shouldn't miss it."

The Senju Princess turned around and walked back towards her house.

Naruto finally regained movement, springing upwards and spitting out the lid. "You bitch! Give me back my balms!"

Kurenai sighed, walking past the loud blonde to put away the shopping.

* * *

Kurenai had barely reached the kitchen before she heard the soft sound. Crying. With a sigh, she placed the shopping bags on the counter, and followed the sound. Eventually, she found it emanating from a small room. It clicked in her mind whose room it was.

She knocked quietly on the door, nudging it open and peeking her head through. Her red eyes widened in concern. "Ino?"

The usual vibrant and beautiful kunoichi looked worse for wear. Her long platinum blonde hair was flowing freely down her back, messy and slightly frizzy. Her light blue eyes were red and puffy, her face stained with tears. She hiccupped, rubbing her eyes. "Kurenai-sensei?" She asked wearily.

Kurenai frowned. She had heard about what the teenage blonde had seen. "Are you alright? Do you need to talk?"

Fresh tears formed in her light blue eyes, and she nodded slowly. Kurenai gracefully slid in, sitting on the edge of the small bed and putting her arm around Ino. Pulling her in tight, she whispered to the Yamanaka as she cried. "Shh, it's alright," over and over.

It took ten minutes for the tears to run out. But Kurenai remained clutching the trembling blonde to her side. Every once in a while, words and sentences would stray out of her mouth. Blood, death, boy, man, horror.

"Ino, you need to calm down," Kurenai said softly but firmly, pushing Ino off her and regarding her with caring eyes. "What you saw..." She sighed. What could she say? A teenage girl had witnessed a man eating a little boy. "Was horrific."

Ino hiccupped, nodding. "Yes, it was." her usual peppy voice was quiet.

"As shinobi, we all have seen, and will see horrible things. That will never change. There are some people in this world who are cruel and disgusting. I've seen things that, to this day, make my skin crawl and make me shudder. But, you need to be strong."

Ino nodded slowly, the tears slowly fading from her eyes.

"As a woman, and as a kunoichi, you need to be strong. We need you, Sakura needs you. Crying will not solve anything."

The Yamanaka heir was quiet for a while, contemplating the words. "Does... does it ever get better?"

Kurenai shook her head. "No, it never gets better. But, with friends surrounding you, you'll be fine."

Kurenai did not expect to be enveloped in another hug. "Thank you Kurenai-sensei. I'm sorry, I'll be strong!"

With a determined smile, Ino pulled away.

The raven haired Jonin smiled softly. "Good Ino. Now, fix your hair, and how about we go spar?"

Ino smiled. "I'd like that, sensei-"

_Knock knock._

Kurenai and Ino both turned their heads to see Tsunade's amber eyes staring intently at the platinum blonde. "Tsunade-sama?" Kurenai asked.

"I was just walking past, heard your conversation. You're a Yamanaka, right kid?"

Ino nodded hesitantly. "Ah," Tsunade nodded, " Good, you're coming with me. Your knowledge of flowers would be useful for teaching Hinata. If you show some promise, I may even tutor you!"

Tsunade was slightly worried how nice she was being to Konoha shinobi, but pushed it aside. They'd be gone soon, hopefully. Seeing kids these days had potential would be a good way to pass the time. And even if they didn't, she could still laugh her ass off.

She didn't wait for Ino to respond. "Good. Meet me in fifteen minutes at the room with the wooden walls. You'll know it when you see it."

Tsunade nodded towards Kurenai, before she took her leave.

Ino blinked, turning to Kurenai for guidance. The raven-haired Jonin shrugged.

Sadly, their personal time was once again cut short as Kiba kicked the door open with a loud thud. "Kurenai-sensei!" His large brown eyes were filled with worry, his body tense, "Have you seen Hinata!?"

Kurenai and Ino leapt up. "No, why? What's going on Kiba?" She demanded.

Kiba growled. "That asshole of her cousin made her cry and run off! I can't find her anywhere!"

Kurenai frowned. She would be having words with Gai when he got back, on how to control his genin. And she would most likely castrate Neji.

She turned to Ino. "I'm sorry, we're going to have to cut this short."

Ino nodded in understanding. "It's fine Kurenai-sensei. Go find Hinata and make sure she's okay. And thank you again!"

Kurenai smiled briefly at the platinum blonde, before her face contorted into a scowl. "Kiba, you search around the gardens, I'll search the rest of the house. Is Shino searching too?"

"He's sending his bugs out to find her. C'mon, we need to hurry!"

The two sped off in opposite directions, as Ino wiped her eyes once more and looked for her hair-tie.

* * *

It did not take long to find Hinata. Her chakra signature was flaring with emotion, but was hidden enough that it would be hard for any ninja under chunnin rank or under. Or, perhaps it was just luck.

Hinata's long black hair shone in the quickly dimming daylight. Kurenai scowled sadly. Poor girl.

"Hinata?"

The Hyuga heiress jumped slightly from her position slumped against a tree, and her eyes widened. "Kurenai-sensei?"

"Yes. Is everything alright?"

Hinata's gaze moved from Kurenai's wine red eyes to the floor. "No." Her voice was softer than usual, and yet held a sad edge. Kurenai crouched down.

"Hinata, you can talk to me-"

"I can't!" Hinata shook her head violently "You wouldn't understand!" Tears welled in her eyes.

"Hinata..." Kurenai had never felt so... helpless. Hinata had always wanted to listen to her, talk to her-

"Just, please, sensei, just go. I... need to think. Please?" The pleading tone in her voice was so sad, that Kurenai just nodded.

Hinata flashed her sensei a quick smile, before she stood up and darted off.

The jonin rubbed her forehead as she stood up. She hadn't gotten anything out of the girl, and now she had no idea where she had gone! If only he wasn't so stupid... no matter, she couldn't do anything now. She would just have to give Hinata some time to herself-

A thought occurred to the raven haired kunoichi, and the smallest of smiles crossed her features. Yes, if anyone would be able to get through to Hinata Hyuga, it would be Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

Grumbling under his breath, Naruto wondered if it was actually worth it to stay here. That old bitch kept picking on him, stupid hag! Then again, nobody else seemed to have a problem with it.

As the blonde walked down the hallway, his mind wandered to the past few days events. His meeting with Kyuubi, the fight with that lightning ninja, Sasuke falling unconscious.

Thoughts swirled in his mind about Sasuke. And none of them were positive. Sure, Sasuke was a stuck-up asshole, but he hadn't really done anything to annoy him recently. So, why did he feel like breaking his face multiple times? It just didn't make any sense. What would Hinata-

He paused mid-step. What was it about Hinata and Sasuke talking that made him feel so enraged? It was sort of like the feeling he got when he was younger, when parents used to take their children home from the park. And he would watch. And that was all he could do.

He put down the memories, trying to figure out the problem now. What exactly was the word Iruka-sensei had used to describe what he felt? J... Jeal... Jealousy? That was it, jealousy. Why was he jealous of Sasuke and Hinata? Even the placing 'and' in between their names made him angry. He sighed, flexing his arms. Stupid bitch,paralysing him like that.

He had reached his destination, though, and vowed to come back to his jealous thoughts at a later date. Although, who he was going to see wouldn't help much. He pounded on the closed door with his fist. "Sasuke!"

There was no reply. "Teme!?"

Again, no reply. Naruto grumbled, gripping the doorknob and twisting it. Pushing against the door with all his weight, it swung open.

"Why didn't you answer me, ass!?"

Sasuke stood at the window, his coal coloured hair shining in the quickly setting sunlight. "Hn."

Naruto grunted himself, walking in the room and slamming the door. "I don't know why I bother, you ungrateful bastard."

Sasuke's obsidian eyes turned on Naruto cerulean ones as he moved next to him. They softened almost imperceptibly. "...Sorry."

Naruto blinked. "What?"

"Hn. I said I'm sorry. That I didn't answer you. Happy?"

The blonde scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, sure." When did Sasuke say sorry? Ever!? "So... how're you?"

Sasuke rubbed his eye. "Tired."

"Oh," Naruto said dumbly, turning his attention to out the window. The sky had turned into a dark orange, and soon night would set in. The clouds that had been white and fluffy seemed to be turning a darker colour along with the setting sun.

"Hn. How're you?"

"Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah, I'm good, thanks. What'cha doin' staring out this window?"

"I don't know." Was the Uchiha's drab reply. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto grinned. "I came to see you Teme!" He slapped the Uchiha roughly on the back, earning a pointed glower, "The last I saw of ya, you were sleepin'!"

"I was unconscious." Sasuke deadpanned.

"Same thing!"

The Uchiha grunted. "Is that all you wanted?"

"Uh... yeah, I guess." Naruto grinned once more. "You've been in this stuffy room all afternoon. Come train!"

"I don't feel like it."

Even though Naruto was the number one least observant ninja ever, he wasn't dumb. Just stupid. However, he could still see something off with Sasuke's eyes. More sadness, than stuck-upness. "Aw, come on Teme! It'll be fun!"

Sasuke grunted, twisting away from the window and moving towards the lumpy bed. "I'm going to sleep. Leave." He paused. "Please."

Naruto was still rather shocked that Teme said 'please'. He would probably never get used to it. "Nah, I'm going to stay!"

"Be quiet then."

Sasuke simply laid down on the bed. He did not move for the longest time. Naruto was getting more frustrated by the second. How long had it been!? He began tapping his foot impatiently. "Teme, it's been ages!"

"...It's been thirty seconds."

"Exactly! Get up!"

Sasuke mumbled something dirty under his breath, rising and fixing his teammate with a piercing stare. "Go away."

Naruto shrugged. "Sure, let's go train!"

"No. Go away Naruto. Please?"

"Uh...no."

Sasuke tried to control his breathing patterns. He was trying to be nicer, killing the Dobe would not solve anything. "Why are you sad, anyway?"

The Uchiha stiffened slightly. "I'm not sad," he snapped.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Liar!"

Sasuke sighed and stood up. "I'm annoyed."

"Really? I never would have guessed!"

Sasuke's eye twitched, but he ignored it. He moved back over to the window, crossing his arms. "I'm pissed about the fight."

"Oh, but we kicked ass!"

"Idiot. We didn't 'kick ass' we failed!"

"No we didn't!" Naruto snapped, stomping his foot. "We saved lots of people, and did some wicked cool moves, and-"

"But we didn't save them all! Did you not see them die, you ignorant fool!? They died because we weren't quick enough."

Naruto blinked. "Yes, I know they died."

"So what're you doing now then? Why are you so calm, and not bothered by their deaths, hmm?" Sasuke sneered angrily. Stupid bastard.

"Well," Naruto crossed his arms, scowling, "A future Hokage needs to be strong. I know that now. I'm sad they died, but there was nothing we could have done."

"Exactly! They died and we couldn't do anything to stop it. I don't know who to blame, whether to be you, me, or Kakashi-sensei."

"What did Kakashi-sensei do!? He wasn't even there!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. He was regretting his pact to be nicer. "Have you never noticed how he ignores you, and focuses on me?"

"Yes." Naruto smiled, thinking it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then why aren't you annoyed about that?"

"Why would I be. And you say I'm the stupid one, Teme! That's how it works."

"...No, that's not how it works."

"It's not?" Naruto looked baffled. The 'old' Sasuke would have scowled and berated him for being an idiot. But, there was something off about this.

"No. Explain to me what you mean 'that's how it works'?"

"Okay! Well, it's how it works, right? The sensei always picks who he thinks is the strongest, and trains him, and he leaves the others to train themselves!"

Sasuke blinked. Who told him that!? "Who told you that, exactly?"

"The sensei's in the academy. They always said I wasn't good enough to be taught, and that they didn't have to, so they left me alone and went on to train everybody else."

Seriously!? What the hell was wrong with these teachers!? Leaving a student out of being taught because he wasn't 'strong enough' was illegal. No wonder the stupid Dobe was... well, a stupid Dobe!"

"They weren't allowed to do that."

"They weren't-" Naruto paused, and a dark look came over his face. "Oh."

"Oh?"

"Hn."

Sasuke blinked. Naruto really hadn't known, had he? Was he actually even taught at the academy? He sighed and shook his head. He would need to ask someone who had paid attention to Naruto. Someone like...

"I'm going to see Hinata," The Uchiha announced suddenly, turning around. He paused as he reached the door. Was that... killing intent?

He spun around. Naruto's gaze was on him, looking almost ferocious. "Why?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He instinctively crossed his arms. "What's it to you?"

Naruto growled loudly under his breath. "Why are you so interested in her? What are you planning on doing to her, you bastard!?"

Sasuke blinked. What? What he was planning to do with her?

"What are you going on about you Dobe. I'm not planning on doing anything."

"Then why are you spending so much time with her!?" Naruto was now gripping the windowsill. Sasuke could see the smallest of cracks.

"I-I'm being more friendly."

"Well, why with her!? Why not with Tenten, or Ino, or Lee, or Kiba!?"

"I will with due time. This isn't any of your business Naruto. Back off." Now Sasuke was angry. This stupid... whatever you would call him was demanding to know why he was going to see her? It was none of his concern, and never would be.

"Make me! Why are you doing this!" Naruto yelled, his grip increasing on the windowsill, along with the crack. "Why are you trying to steal my friend!?"

Sasuke could see flecks of red in Naruto's eyes. "I'm not trying to steal your friend, Dobe."

"Liar!" Naruto charged forward, barrelling into the Uchiha. He knocked the air out of him as they tumbled through the door, breaking it off it's hinges with a loud bang.

Sasuke kicked the blonde off him, sending him sprawling backwards. "What the hell is your problem you idiot!?"

"I know what you're trying to do!" Naruto roared. "Trying to steal the only friend I've ever made myself, because you're a selfish bastard!"

"Only friend? What about Kiba, and Shikamaru, and Sakura, and me?"

"You're not my friends!" The words stung Sasuke in a way that he hadn't expected. Why didn't he think of them as friends? Sure, they argued, but, they were still friends, right?#

"We are-"

"No!" Naruto swallowed something building in his throat. The specks of red faded from his eyes. "You... you're not. Shikamaru and Kiba were only there because I knew how to escape the academy."

"What about-"

"You and Sakura? We were placed on a team, forced to get along. I never made friends with you myself. Hinata is the only person who I've ever made friends with, with my own power. And now you want to take that away from me!?"

"What's going on!" Kurenai's commanding voice echoed down the hallway, reaching the stunned Sasuke. Did Naruto really think that? That they were just friends because they were on the same team? That they tolerated him?

He couldn't speak as Naruto barged past him, his normally bubbly cerulean eyes filled with coldness. "What's up Kurenai-sensei?" The blonde asked in a detached tone.

Kurenai frowned at him slightly. "Hinata's gone missing." Naruto's eyes softened, and were filled with alarm.

"We need you to track her down and talk with her. She's really sad about something, and-"

"I'm on it sensei!" Naruto was gone before she had even finished, barrelling down the hallway.

Sasuke watched him go, a sad look on his face. The irony. Trying to get someone together with someone, and yet pulling them apart at the same time. He rubbed his forehead.

Kurenai watched the raven-haired boy on the broken door, and just shook her head. She was tired. She would let Naruto do her thing. Kakashi could sort out Sasuke's mess. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and left, as Sasuke simply stood up, walked into the room, and lay on his bed, thinking, and waiting for sleep to come. It never did.

* * *

**And there we go! I had fun trying to expand my writing style in terms of characters actions while speaking. I overall enjoyed writing every scene. I'm not super keen on Kurenai and Hinata's scene, I think that can be expanded on, and it shall be in due time :). So, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed, I look forward to hearing your thoughts!**

**Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey everybody, and welcome back to Chapter 31 of the Winds of Change. Remember me? Hehe, well, I do apologize. I know I promised to upload a chapter every week, but honestly, I've not been on for about a month or so. Why? Well, I wasn't feeling it. I refuse to bring you guys content that I'm not happy with, and while I could of powered through this chapter, it would have come out bad. Or, worse than it is. I feel as though that would be doing you a disservice But, well, what wasn't cool of me was to simply disappear without a trace. I just needed a break, honestly. But, I'm back, and feeling fresh. I've got a new, non Naruto story int he works with a good friend of mine, and for the first time in a while, I'm looking forward to writing. **

**So, I do apologize, I'll reply to all your messages and reviews when I get time. One thing to note, I may end up taking a break next week. Simply because I need to plan out some more of the chapters. So, without further ado, here is chapter thirty-one, of the Winds of Change!**

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Chapter 31:

Her footsteps echoed down the dimly lit hallway. She focused on them, her whole body and mind listening to the rhythm as her feet tapped across the floor. It was odd, she had to admit, but anything was better than remembering-

It smelt rather lovely in Tsunade's home. It was the scent of jasmine, sweet and tender. It reminded her of the Yamanaka Flowershop, the safe, secure streets of Konoha. Where children were coveted and tended too.

Not eaten like raw meat.

She bit back the tears, shaking her head roughly. Ino Yamanaka refused to cry. But those memories... they just wouldn't leave her alone. They swirled around and around in her head. The boy's lifeless eyes, all that blood, bits of flesh. All of it seemed to be ingrained in her mind. Whenever she closed her eyes, even to blink, she saw death.

Another scent hit her nose as she walked, worrying that if she stopped, she would never continue on. It smelt oddly like pine trees. The smell made her heart fill with warmth. It reminded her of Shikamaru. Lazy, stupid Shikamaru. But it comforted her, made her feel safe. She followed her nose without thinking, all manner of scents joining in with the scent of pine. But, it always stayed prevalent in Ino's mind. Slowly, but surely, the thoughts of blood and decay were pushed back, leaving pictures of Team Ten, Asuma-sensei and Choji. And Shikamaru.

It smelt like his house, thats what it was. His house smelt like wondrous pine trees, fresh grass. Unlike her house, which smelt of all manner of exotic flowers. And as much as she loved her house, it didn't have the same comforting feel as Shikamaru's.

Ino hadn't even realised she had reached the end of the hallway, only stopping short of the wall. She stepped back, her head turning to the side. A large door greeted her.

Tsunade had said she'd know it when she saw it. Or, rather, smelt it. She knocked loudly.

"Enter!"

Ino jumped backwards, startled at the loud noise. She mentally berated herself, she shouldn't have been acting like a small child. She was a kunoichi, damn it!

"Tsunade-sama?" She asked, peeking her head round the crack in the door. Her eyes widened.

All manner of flowers, from jasmine to daises to roses covered the shelves. The smells all mixed together to create a wonderful aroma of all scents. The large wooden room was pretty much owned by all the flowers, minus a large table.

Tsunade stood behind it, watching Ino impatiently. "Is Hinata with you?"

Ino gulped, and shook her head. "No, Tsunade-sama."

The Sennin mumbled something under her breath. "Fine. Get over here."

The Yamanaka heiress did as she was told, walking quickly over towards the table. It was then she noticed the two large windows that showed the setting sun, obviously to let in sunlight.

"Right, we'll wait for Hinata."

Ten minutes passed.

Ino could see Tsunade was growing impatient. Every second the beat of her foot on the floor grew louder and louder. The buxom blonde's eyes would go smaller, and smaller, and the vein on her head would grow bigger, and bigger, until-

"Where is she!" Tsunade slammed her hand down on the table, almost breaking it in two.

"I-I don't know Tsunade-sama, do you want me to go look for her?" Ino asked. If she was honest, Tsunade scared the living shit out of her. She'd rather take her chances looking for Hinata, than being here with this volatile woman.

Tsunade shook her head. "No, don't bother. It's her loss if she misses the training that I graciously offered her."

Ino decided that Tsunade was rather odd. But very, very ill-tempered. She would have to watch that. Her thoughts quickly drifted back to earlier, and Shikamaru. She hadn't thought about him since... forever, actually. They had that argument, and vowed to speak after the mission. About their feelings?

No, she surely didn't have feelings for Shikamaru. That would be absurd. He was Shikamaru, and she was Ino Yamanaka. They would never, ever work. Not ever. She couldn't even imagine him holding her hand, talking her on long walks, having picnics, going to see movies, kissing-

She blushed, awkwardly playing with her hair. The thought of Shikamaru... kissing her. It made her blood boil with excitement.

He was a chauvinistic pig, thinking she couldn't take care of herself. Hm, how petty. And just because she was a woman! The nerve of that bastard! And yet, deep down in her chest, she could feel her heartbeat speed up just thinking about him, whether out of anger, sadness, humour, or love. Love. Was that what she felt for him. Love? If it was, then love was a huge bitch. The biggest of them all. Making her fall in love with Shikamaru of all people. What about Sasuke! Sasuke was far cuter than Shikamaru ever would be-

But Shikamaru felt more homely... felt more safe. Sasuke was an enigma. Was it possible, that perhaps, she was not in love with Sasuke, but her image of him?

Ino wanted to laugh, tell herself she was being ridiculous, and yet she couldn't. Maybe she truly didn't love Sasuke. Did that mean she loved Shikamaru? Maybe, but another question popped into her head, one so severe it made her chest hurt with both pain and nervousness. Did Shikamaru love her?

"Here we go!"

Tsunade's voice cut Ino out of her thoughts, as she turned her head to the side. Her mouth dropped open.

The Slug Sennin casually shut the trap door near the corner of the room, rubbing her hands together. "Ino, change of plans! Since the Hyuga brat decided not to show up, I'm going to teach you some medical techniques."

Ino noticed the drained sake bottle precariously hanging over the edge of the table, but did not say anything. Rather, she was fixated more on the large flopping fish.

"Stay still you bastard! Tsunade roared, her hands glowing green. The fish stopped moving. The busty kunoichi turned her head towards Ino expectantly.

"Tsunade-sama...?"

"Get on with it then!"

"Get on with what, exactly?"

Tsunade scowled. "Damn brats, never paying attention. Okay, look. This fish," she hit it for good measure "is currently in a comatose state. It will die in a minute. You need to pump your chakra through this fish, in order to keep it breathing. Simple, right?"

Ino had plenty of things to say. 'No, it's not that simple,' and 'Are you crazy!? You expect me to do something like this you screwed-up bitch!?' were definitely nearer the top than most. But, she just reluctantly nodded. What could go wrong?

The Yamanaka heir cautiously made her way over, as Tsunade beamed at her. "You ready?" She slurred. Yup, she was definitely drunk.

"Y-yes Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade used some chakra to take the fish out of comatose. Immediately it started to flop around madly. Ino began channelling chakra into her hands, having next to no idea what she was doing. This went on for a few seconds.

And then the fish exploded.

Fish guts covered the room and the plants, giving off a now revolting stench. Tsunade looked horrified, examining herself. And all the blood... She shivered in fear, her skin becoming cold and clammy.

Ino wiped away a piece of entrails from her face. "Tsunade-sama?" She asked hesitantly.

"Get. Out." The tone was biting and fierce, and Ino was forced to take a step backwards.

"I'm sorry-"

"GET OUT!"

With an almighty roar Tsunade smashed her fist onto the table, breaking it in half. Ino screamed in fear, turning and running as fast as her legs would carry her.

Tsunade closed her eyes, and began breathing deeply. The shower room was just next door. If she could just make it there, and wash away all the thoughts-

_Dan's blood soaked her hands and body, his cold eyes staring back at her, unfeeling. The gore clung to her skin like a leech, spreading into her pores, into her soul-_

She began to shake wildly, her only instinct being to fall to her knees. She couldn't move, she couldn't move! No, she had to move, she had to! With a broken intake of breath, she began to crawl. They would laugh at her if they saw her now. Crawling like a toddler, shaking violently, on the verge of tears. How pathetic was she. She eventually made it to the door, the squelching sounds finally leaving her ears as she stood up.

She made the mistake of looking at her hands.

Coated in slick blood and guts, she almost threw up at the sight. And the smell. She barely managed to make it to the bathroom before the vomit erupted from her mouth. She looked down into the toilet bowl for a good long few minutes, repeatedly throwing up. And then, after she felt less woozy, she took a shower. She still felt the blood on her hands.

* * *

Her soft sobs and his soft breathing were all there was. No loud noises, beeping of machines, or clang of metal. Just the two of them.

Tenten sat in a chair, her cheeks wet and warm. Was this was she was, now? A pathetic whiny kunoichi who simply cried and cried and cried? She peeked through her fingers, her brown eyes darting to the side.

Lee slept peacefully, although his face was contorted into a grim line.

She wouldn't help him.

His bowl cut-hair with a thick sheen of sweat and grime.

She wouldn't help him.

His damp clothes.

She wouldn't help him.

His relaxed posture. But she knew he was hurting. Badly.

She. Wouldn't. Help. Him.

Tenten's eyes steeled, her resolve hardening. She knew what she had to do. Wordlessly, she stood. Taking one long look back at Lee, her fists clenched. And she embarked.

* * *

The day's end was drawing near. Ever so slowly the sun was creeping down the horizon, the sky changing from a vibrant blue to a fiery orange to a stand-out red. The wind whistled softly against the trees and vegetables.

Hinata liked gardens. They made her feel safe. They reminded her of her mother-

The pain was sharp, piercing into her chest like the iciest of blades. She gulped, shivering restlessly against the small bench that overlooked the garden. Had she not been in such a depressed mood, she would have loved it here. The small part of Hinata's mind that was not clouded by sadness and confusion made a mental note to come back here. If she ever did.

The thoughts that ran through her head scared her sometimes. Perhaps she should just run away, live out her life in a small village. No, she wouldn't make it even if she had the guts to try it. They would send Hunter Nin out so fast she would barely make it past the front gate. And, even if, somehow, she did manage to make it out, what would she do? Living in a small village somewhere was all well and good, but how would she survive. She could cook, sure. And clean. But, her eyes would be too distinctive. An huge giveaway. Nope, she would be caught, and branded. Perhaps being branded with the Caged Bird Seal was the best thing. After all, the weak deserved to be slaves.

Hinata froze. What did she just think? Did she just seriously imply that all men and women with the Caged Bird Seal were weak!? She berated herself. How stupid, how thoughtless, how pathetic a person she was. She grounded her teeth together, in a moment of pure rage against herself. She took a deep breath.

Hinata started to cry softly. No sobbing, no hiccups. Tears started falling down her pale complexion. And she stared out, into the red sky. That was, until a loud voice somehow managed to lift up her spirits, and yet break them.

"Hinata!? Hinata! Where are you!?"

There it was. The loud, obnoxious, ridiculously cute voice of Naruto Uzumaki filled the air. If voices could be colours, his would be an electric yellow, always vibrant and loud. Always lighting up the room.

He couldn't see her like this, she refused to allow him to see her like this. She quickly wiped away the tears, standing up, and slowly began to creep away. She would make it behind that tree, she could hide, and then-

She squeaked loudly as she bumped into something orange, sprawling backwards with a yelp of pain. Hinata opened her lavender eyes, and was greeted by her long term crush. His cerulean eyes were filled with concern, his mouth turned into a sad frown. He leant forward, offering one of his tan hands. "Sorry Hinata, I didn't mean to!"

She could only stare, her mouth slightly ajar. Why? Why did this keep happening to her!?

"I-It's alright, N-Naruto." She stuttered, slowly rising, although never taking her eyes off the blonde.

He cocked his head to the side, and a look of doubt crossed his face. "Okay."

She nodded, fumbling with her jacket zip. "Well... I b-best get going." She offered the weakest smile she had ever done, and turned on her heel, marching away as fast as she could.

Hinata didn't move for very long, however, as she soon felt the warm hand on her shoulder. "Hinata, wait! Kurenai-sensei's worried about you!"

The Hyuuga girl took in a deep breath, before answering. "It doesn't matter Naruto."

"Wha? Of course it does!"

Hinata found herself being pulled backwards, until she was seated on the small bench she had been resting on. She momentarily forgot about all her troubles, as she felt herself pressed into Naruto's side. Naruto squirmed slightly, and pushed her away gently. "It does Hinata, honest!" Naruto yelled, turning to face the pale teen. "Why are you so sad? Is it because of Sakura? Don't worry, I'll get her back, you have my word, believe it!"

Hinata smiled ever so softly, but it soon turned into a sad frown. "I-it's not that."

"Oh? Is it Sasuke? That bastard, I'll bash his face in, I'll-"

"Naruto!" She squeaked, "I-it's not Sasuke."

The blonde seemed a bit annoyed about this, grumbling something to himself, before turning his attention back onto the Hyuuga. "So, what is it then?"

"M-my mother."

"Your mother..." Naruto frowned. "I've never heard you mention your mother. Did she die, or somethin'?"

Hinata cringed, and Naruto instantly began to babble apologies. "I-it's fine Naruto, really. I-I thought she was d-dead, myself."

"What?"

And so Hinata explained in as great a detail as she could about what she had experience. From meeting her mother, to failing to fight, to finding out everybody knew but herself. After she had finished, Naruto sat in thought for a moment.

"And you think you're weak because you didn't defeat her?"

Hinata nodded, distraught covering her face. He agreed! She was a failure, a total one, and-

"I don't think you're weak. I think you're very strong."

Hinata froze, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. What?

He smiled at her, a dazzling sincere smile. "You're not weak, at all. What Neji and all the other bastards in your clan, no offence," he quickly added after she cringed, "shouldn't have lied to you. Or, at least, told you at some point. Keeping you in the dark is unfair. If anybody kept me in the dark about my parents, I'd flip."

A pang of sadness crossed the blonde's face, but he kept talking, "But you didn't kill anybody. Which is better than what I'd of done. But, more than that, you stood up to her. I can't really understand why you had such a problem with her. I've never had a... mother, so I don't know what it feels like. But, she obviously makes you feel like shit, somehow. And you stood up to her. You could've run, but you didn't. You stayed, until the guard came. You probably saved peoples lives, Hinata."

"N-Naruto.."

"I believe in you Hinata. You're awesome, and one of the only people to ever pay attention to me."

It happened on accident. Naruto gestured with his hand, Hinata moved hers. They locked, small and pale, tanned and callous. Both froze.

The warmth that assaulted Naruto's body was unfamiliar. But, it felt nice. It spread and spread, making the tips of his fingers and toes tingle. Her hand was so soft, so very soft...

A jab of something cold and painful struck his heart. The unknown, her touch. It-he couldn't-he-

He roughly pulled his hand as if it was on a burning hot stove, a look of pure horror coming across his face.

Hinata felt the worst she ever had in her life. Naruto... had rejected her. Her crush... didn't like her. She prayed for the earth to swallow her. Naruto hated her guts. He must!

"Hey, guys!"

Both could not think anymore, as Ino ran up, breathing heavy as her ponytail swished to and fro. "You'll never believe it!"

"W-what?" Hinata asked, her voice drab and lifeless.

"Tenten challenged Tsunade-sama to a fight!"

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**And there we go! Not much more to say, so, see you for the next chapter, and have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hello everybody, and welcome back to chapter thirty-two of the Winds of Change! Yes, yes, I know this chapter is a week late. Well, I'm horrible with writing fight-scenes, one of which takes up this whole chapter. They usually take twice as long to write than the normal chapter, so get used to that, sadly. I don't have much to say in this authors note, but a ton in the one at the end. Enjoy this super long chapter! So, without further ado, I bring you chapter 32, of the Winds of Change.**

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Chapter 32:

* * *

"You're serious, aren't you?"

The two kunoichi stood facing each other in the courtyard. The sun was slowly descending, giving way to night. It would be upon them soon.

Tsunade's amber eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions. Annoyance, surprise, and a slight hint of respect.

Tenten's on the other hand, were far different. Cold, steeled and ready for action. The brunette nodded.

"Don't be stupid. Go back to your teammates bedside."

She still did not speak, her gaze leaving leaving Tsunade's face. By now, a small crowd had gathered.

"Yosh, this is most unyouthful!" Gai yelled, his dark eyes filled with concern, "Tenten, I ask that you withdraw!"

Tenten did not respond to her sensei. She just stared.

"Gai, I'd let her be." Kakashi said, flicking through the pages of Icha Icha, keeping one eye on the two kunoichi. "She'll soon learn."

Neji stood in front of the two Jounin, his gaze drifting from Tenten to Tsunade, his brows furrowed into some imperceptible emotion. White eyes scanned them both, looking for any tenseness, anything that would indicate an attack. He shuffled restlessly.

Beside him, Shino adjusted his glasses. "The odds of your teammate being able to lay a hand on Tsunade-sama are unlikely."

Neji nodded slightly. That was true. Tenten was good, but this... was a member of the Sannin. This was out of their league.

"Come on girls, let's get to fightin'!" Kiba yelled, his worry for Hinata momentarily forgotten in the prospect of a good cat-fight. Kurenai slapped him on the shoulder, giving him a chiding look.

"Kiba, do not encourage them."

The Inuzuka grumbled under his breath, turning to Shino and elbowing him lightly in the ribs. "C'mon Shino, you telling me you've never wanted to see a Sannin fight?"

"Of course. However, there are far more prevalent things at stake. What, you ask? Hinata's safety-" He paused for a moment. "Never mind."

"What? Whatcha mean never mind!?"

Then her scent hit him. Lavender, jasmine, and... ramen. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, but smiled. "Knew you wouldn't miss a scrap Uzumaki."

Naruto didn't respond to Kiba, instead fixing his cerulean eyes on Tsunade. Hinata stopped beside him, her own lavender eyes filled with concern at his expression. Ino gently tugged on her arm, pulling her away reluctantly from the blonde haired boy.

Naruto walked forward, brushing past Kakashi and Gai, Neji and Shino, until he was standing next to Tenten. He turned his head to the side, opened his mouth, and yelled, "BRING IT YOU OLD HAG!"

Tenten looked at Naruto with something akin to surprise. Their eyes locked, and they both shared unspoken words for a few brief moments.

"What, now you're fighting with her, too?" Tsunade asked, cracking her neck. "I don't even see the point in a fight, honestly. Can't you just accept I'm not going to help your friend. Being beaten to a bloody pulp won't do you any good."

Naruto gritted his teeth in rage, "It doesn't matter! I'll fight you until my heart stops beating! Believe it!"

"That could be sooner than you think brat," Tsunade mumbled under her breath.

Tenten still stood there, motionless.

"Naruto," Kakashi put his hand over his face. "Stop being such an idiot and get back over here."

"Screw you Kakashi-sensei!"

The Copy-Ninja merely sighed, and buried his face back into his book.

Neji stepped forward, walking over to where Tenten and Naruto were standing with big strides. He slipped into his Jyuuken stance, his eyes blazing with the Byakugan.

Tenten's mouth opened, as if she was going to say something, but stopped. Naruto grinned, slipping into his own fighting stance. "Prepare to get beaten down you old woman!"

"Three against one?" Tsunade questioned, a tick appearing on her brow at being called old. "Hm, I'd stand down. You can't win."

"I don't care!" Naruto yelled, "Prepare to be destroyed!"

There was a tense silence. And then the battle began.

Neji rushed forward, his feet barely touching the ground as he sprinted. Tsunade barely reacted, examining her nails. Naruto quickly formed a familiar hand sign, ready to begin his signature jutsu.

The Hyuga dodged from side to side, trying to fake out the Slug Sennin. He pulled his palm back, and thrust it forward.

Tsunade smacked his hand away as if it was a childs. She placed her hand near Neji's chest, and flicked him. He flew backwards, colliding with Naruto. Both teens tumbled and rolled in the dirt, before slamming into the house's wall.

The collective response from the younger generation of ninja were opened mouths and wide eyes. "Holy shit." Kiba said stunned. Shino adjusted his glasses.

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

Tsunade's amber eyes landed on the motionless Tenten. "Well? I've gotten rid of your 'back-up'. Your turn."

The brunette reached behind her back, before three kunai were flying towards the Slug Sannin. Tsunade stepped to the side as they thudded into the bark of a tree. "That all you got?"

Tenten got into a low crouch, analysing the terrain. With hard brown eyes, she charged forward. Pulling out two small scrolls, she threw them up into the air and made a hand sign. The scrolls unraveled, and two long metal pipes popped out. Tenten caught them in both hands, before joining them together.

"A Bo-Staff. Impressive." Kakashi stated. Gai's serious face mellowed somewhat with a smile.

"Yes, she is."

Tsunade didn't seem to think so, merely scoffing. The brunette kunoichi leapt high into the air, raising her staff above her head. The Slug Princess side-stepped as it crashed into the dirt. She then ducked a swipe, and began to trail backwards, dodging and ducking every attack that Tenten used against her.

Team Gai's kunoichi did not falter, however, and continued her barrage. Finally, Tsunade seemed to grow bored, easily grasping the end of the staff. With one hand, she lifted it high into the air, with Tenten still attached, and threw it.

Tenten quickly adjusted herself, tucking into a rolling position as she hit the ground hard, but avoiding most of the damage. She exited the roll drawing three shuriken from her pouch and lobbing them at the Sennin.

Tsunade did not side step them this time, instead placing her hands in a clapping motion. As the shuriken drew near, with an almighty bang, Tsunade clapped her hands together. The sheer force blew back the shuriken and tore up some earth.

Tenten grimaced as she managed to dodge the shuriken, but not the earth. It slammed into her side, eliciting a cry of pain as she collapsed on one knee.

Tsunade made a noise of annoyance, before she turned her attention back towards the two teens running towards her. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

With a loud cry, and multiple puffs of smoke six Naruto's materialized. With a roar of rage, they began to assault Tsunade. Or, rather, tried to.

Tsunade did the exact same thing she did earlier, clapping her hands together loudly. The force of the clap caused the clones to disappear and Naruto to be blown backwards. The Slug Sennin's amber eyes followed the blur to her left. "_He's fast."_

Neji, with an outstretched palm looked to strike Tsunade in the side. She had other ideas. Leaping upwards, Neji's attack missed. Tsunade then pushed her foot downwards, smashing against the elbow of the Hyuga. He cried out in pain, barely managing to pick up enough momentum to dodge Tsunade's other foot as it crashed into the ground. However, Neji tripped and skidded through the dirt.

"Heh, not bad kid. But not good enough."

Neji grimaced, slowly leveraging himself up. His arm certainly wasn't broken, but it was struck in such an area it pretty much made his limb useless. He watched as Tenten sailed over his head.

Tsunade caught Tenten's foot with ease, barely looking towards her as Naruto once again charged. She applied enough pressure to sprain the girls ankle. To her surprise, Tenten disappeared in a puff of smoke. Momentarily blinded, Naruto took this opportunity to attack. He slammed his fist into Tsunade's stomach. She didn't flinch or move.

The smoke cleared, revealing the annoyed face of the Slug Sennin. Naruto gulped.

"She didn't even flinch!" Ino cried in exasperation. Hinata watched in horror as Naruto was promptly uppercutted in the jaw, sending him sprawling backwards. She silently thanked Kami that Tsunade hadn't used any of her strength. She would have taken his head off!

Ino turned to Kakashi. "Sensei, why didn't Tsunade-sama flinch? Naruto hit her square in the stomach!"

"I wish to ask the same question," Shino stated, "Either Tsunade-sama has a massive amount of endurance, or it was a technique of some kind?"

"You are correct on both assumptions, Shino," Kakashi eye smiled, "While Tsunade-sama has a massive amount of endurance, more so than any other shinobi in existence, that was a technique."

"One of her own creation, I believe?" Kurenai questioned.

The Copy Ninja nodded. "Yes. Tsunade-sama channels chakra to a certain part of her body, effectively creating a piece of 'chakra armour'. It can be penetrated, but a normal punch is simply a scratch to one of the Legendary Sannin."

Naruto leapt to his feet, growling. "Bitch!"

Tsunade smirked, but her face soon turned into one of annoyance as she ducked, an array of thrown weapons sailing over her head.

"Gah!" Naruto leapt to the side just in time to avoid being skewered.

The Legendary Sennin swung around catching the halberd as it came inches towards her face. "You have an impressive repertoire."

Tenten sneered.

Tsunade didn't wait for the brunette kunoichi to move, instead kicking out her leg. Tenten felt the weight of gravity was she lost her balance, falling face first into the dirt.

Neji charged as Tsunade stood up, his injured arm flailing behind him. The pain was insurmountable, but he had to reach Tenten before any major damage-

A stiff kick caught him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Tsunade didn't even look towards him as she lowered her foot, instead opting to dodge a sloppy punch from Tenten.

"Heh, you should stop playing little girl," The Slug Sannin laughed, sweeping Tenten's legs out from under her. She fell onto her back, and felt the air leave her lungs as Tsunade stood on her chest. "Perhaps then you will learn to respect your elders."

The blonde kunoichi pressed down on the younger female nin, causing her to cry out in pain at the pressure.

She had to take a step back was Naruto sailed forward, fist cocked. He missed his punch, but surprised the Slug Sannin by gripping onto the fabric of her shirt. He swung back around, ready to strike the kunoichi in the face. She simply raised her hand and caught his fist, and swung him upwards.

Naruto stayed upside down, Tsunade keeping him that way with one hand. After a few moments, she pulled him back down. Straight onto her knee. Naruto yelped in pain as he collapsed to the floor. And poofed into smoke.

"Attack!"

Tsunade spun around as ten Naruto's leapt from the bushes. She grimaced. "Annoying brat!"

She went to do her clapping move, but let out a gasp of surprise pain. Neji breathed in heavily, his palm on Tsunade's leg. With a curse, the blonde collapsed to one knee.

"Yeah!" The Naruto's yelled simultaneously as they neared Tsunade.

The Slug Sannin merely growled in annoyance as she disappeared in a puff of smoke, replacing herself with Tenten. "Oh sh-"

The Naruto's collided with Tenten's surprised body, puffs of smoke and loud thuds filling the air. Neji had managed to roll out the way in time, avoiding the barrage of orange.

"I'm somewhat impressed." Tsunade muttered as she healed her leg in a couple of seconds. "But you're all still weak."

Tenten growled, throwing Naruto off her as she clambered to her feet. "Shut. Up!"

Tsunade quirked an irritated brow. "Make me."

"With pleasure!"

A clone wrapped its arms around Tsunade, binding her with a bone-crushing hug. "Now Tenten!"

The brunette charged forward, producing a kunai from her pouch. "Die!"

Tsunade simply flexed her muscles, and the clone poofed out of existence. The Slug Sennin swatted Tenten's hand away, grasping at her neck and lifting her upwards.

She coughed for air. "You should stop this pointlessness." Tsunade said, dropping Tenten to the floor as she choked violently. "But, I know you won't, so I'll take out your allies first."

The Slug Sannin was there one moment, and gone the next.

Neji had managed to rise to his feet, his eyes slightly glassy. That was one powerful kick. Tsunade's palm lightly touched his heart. He spasmed uncontrollably for a few moments, before slumping to the floor. He couldn't move! She had paralysed him!

"Hey, leave Neji alone!"

Naruto was making his way to his feet also, about to use his Shadow Clone technique. Tsunade was faster, placing her hand at the top of his head. It took about six seconds for Naruto's eyes to roll into the back of his head, and for him to fall backwards unconscious.

"Take notes girls," Tsunade turned her head and shot Ino and Hinata both a pointed glare. They both gulped.

Tenten rose to her feet, her steeled eyes giving way to pain. Her whole chest burned and ached. Was this it? Would she be swatted away like a bug trying to help her friend?

"I'm not sure whether to be impressed or not. The genius of the Hyuga clan, so easily defeated. I switched around your nerve endings." Tsunade stated to the teen, who found this out soon after. He tried to move his leg, and moved his index finger. Moved his right arm, caused his left big toe to twitch.

"Wh-what did you do to N-Naruto!?" Hinata called out worriedly. Tsunade turned to her, a hard look in her amber eyes.

"Nice of you to show up for something," She half-snarled half-sneered. Hinata took a step back. "I simply stopped the oxygen to his brain for a few seconds, which was more than enough to knock him out."

"Why won't you help him!?"

The Slug Sennin turned her attention to the seething brunette. "Because I don't want to."

Tenten's eyes widened, and she bared her teeth in an act of primal aggression. She charged.

Kakashi was impressed at how fast the girl had moved. Training under Gai really must have improved her speed and stamina. "She's good." He said to a stony faced Gai.

The Spandex Clad Jonin shook his head. "Yes. But not good enough."

"She's so strong..." Ino trailed off as Tsunade deflected one of Tenten's punches, following up with a chop to the solar plexus.

Kiba winced as the brunette flew backwards. "It's so unreal. Tsunade-sama has such strength, it's just..."

"She would easily be capable to leveling the whole town if she wished," Shino stated, as he adjusted his glasses for the millionth time. "Be glad you didn't decide to jump in Kiba."

There was an odd look in the Inuzuka's eye that Shino did not like. Not one bit.

"Kiba-"

"Man Beast Clone!"

Akamaru hopped down beside his master, turning into another form of Kiba. With a growl, they both charged forward, leaping into the air.

"Kiba, stop this!" Kurenai cried in exasperation. "Shino, talk some-"

Shino was already speeding after him, and Kurenai almost sighed in relief. Until she saw the Kikaichu swarming out the Aburame's trenchcoat. "Shino!"

Kiba and Akamaru sped towards Tsunade at a breakneck pace, there bodies contorting into grey cyclones. The Slug Sennin noticed them, sending an already reeling Tenten flying backwards once more with a stiff kick to the abdomen. She made a hand-sign.

"Chakra Shield!"

A dome of solid chakra formed around the kunoichi as the two spinning vortexes of grey slammed into green. There was a loud smack, before the chakra shield expanded and sent Kiba and Akamaru backwards. Both skidded on the ground, but righted themselves.

Tsunade grimaced as a cloud of Kikaichū descended upon her. With the shield of chakra dissipating, she leapt backwards. "What are you two doing!?"

Shino leant down and helped Kiba up to his feet, before turning his glazed eyes onto amber. "Rock Lee is a shinobi of the Leaf Village, and an ally. It has taken me this long to realize this, and as such act. As a loyal Shinobi of Konoha, it is my duty to help defend other members of my village. I should have stepped in with the others when I had the chance."

"Shino, stop-"

Kurenai stopped talking as Kakashi held up a hand. "Let him speak Kurenai." He eye-smiled.

Shino continued, "And as such, I shall interfere now. You may be stronger than me, and faster than me. Logic clearly shows I'll be destroyed facing you down. But, sometimes logic must give way to emotions. Logically, I can't beat you Tsunade-sama. Emotionally, I'll do everything in my power to try. In a commonly used phrase by Naruto, 'Believe It'."

Kiba grinned wolfishly at him. "I'm glad you've started to see things less about smarts and more about feelings Shino!"

The Inuzuka Heir swore Shino smiled at him from behind his collar. "Enough talk, let's-"

"Shino's right."

Shino and Kiba turned their heads to witness Ino step forward, her own blue eyes shining. "Lee is a shinobi of Konoha. If I've learned anything over the past few months, it's that the shinobi of the village should be considered family. And what you're doing Tsunade-sama, it's wrong."

Kurenai seemed to be having a fit in the background, but all Ino could think of was, "_Shikamaru would kill me if he found out about this. Screw him!"_

Tsunade placed a hand on her hip. "Is that all? Or do anymore of you brats want to join this little brawl we've got going on here?" Deep inside, she felt something. Something alien, and off-putting. Something that snuggled warmly in her stomach. This kids would face odds they could not beat, for one of their friends. It reminded her of what Dan would do, of what Nawaki would do... No! She ruthlessly crushed this warm feeling. Konoha Shinobi were not her friends, and she was not a Konoha Shinobi. Not anymore.

"I-I c-can't let you do this T-Tsunade-sama."

"Hinata!?" Kurenai cried as the petite girl slowly walked forward, her eyes glued to the floor and her fingers twitching together.

"Y-you need to help Lee. P-Please?"

"No."

"I s-see..."

Hinata slipped into her Jyuuken stance, Byakugan blazing.

A small part of Tsunade admired her strength. The rest crushed that feeling with annoyance. This was going to end quickly.

"T-Thank you guys so much." Tenten spoke, wiping at her eyes as she made her way to her feet. She was bruised and battered all over. But refused to give up.

"No problem Tenten," Ino smiled. "Now, let's do this! For Lee!"

* * *

"This is insane." Kurenai stated, nervously tapping her foot. "We can't let them do this!"

Kakashi turned his head to the side, raising one grey eyebrow. "Oh? And why ever not?"

The red eyed kunoichi shuffled uncomfortably. She respected Kakashi as an ally and a friend, but at times he was just so slothful! It was maddening. "They'll get killed!"

"Have some faith Kurenai," The Copy Ninja stated, flipping another page of his book. "They'll be just fine. In fact, they may even learn some things."

"Learn some things? Don't be stupid Kakashi. They're going to be beaten to within an inch of their lives!"

"I highly doubt that. Tsunade-sama knows we have an important mission. She will merely give them some bruises, both physically and mentally, and then everything will be alright."

"You think?" Gai finally spoke, his face still rather stony, but slightly softened around the edges. "Can they take some bruises right now?"

"Physically or mentally?"

"Mentally. I have the utmost faith in my teams abilities. But, Tenten's not coping at all with Lee's poor health. If she doesn't stop soon, she'll be badly beaten. So severely, in fact, she may resign from becoming a ninja."

Kurenai blinked. Gai was certainly an eccentric man, but he knew his stuff. "You think she may resign?"

"Sadly, yes. Tenten has always been the most emotional on my team, believe it or not. Lee is certainly an emotionally shinobi, with strong burning flames of youth. Tenten too has that flame, only to a different extent. Lee's able to deal with the loss of his comrades. It's happened to him before, and it'll happen to him again. Tenten, however, has never been good at coping with loss. In fact, she is so emotional, I almost recommended her to be pushed out of the academy and become a civilian."

"Wow, I had no idea Gai. However, in a certain way, she's dealing with it far better than she was a few hours ago, would you not agree?" Kakashi asked. Gai grimly nodded.

"Of course. She's gone from crying and not dealing with her problems head on, to furiously attacking them with every single beat of her heart. But, as much as I immensely dislike that Tsunade-sama will not help Lee," His jaw tensed and his hands closed into fists, "Attacking her would do nothing. And I would be soundly beaten. My pride could take the hit. Tenten's could not. And coupled with the stakes..."

Kakashi eye-smiled. "Perhaps, but the stakes hanging over her may help. By pushing her to her limits, and her love for her teammate, it may end with her winning in the end."

"There is no way she can beat Tsunade-"

"I never said that Kurenai. There are multiple ways to beat your opponent. Just watch. And, to nip your worries about the other kids in the bud, they'll be fine. They'll just help strengthen Tenten's resolve."

"But they'll still be slaughtered." Kurenai stated blandly, folding her arms. "We should try to get them out of there."

"And then what?" Gai asked, smiling slightly, the stoniness of his face ebbing away bit by bit. "We are forced to hold back four genin who desperately want to help their comrade? No, my Eternal Rival is right. It will not only help morale, but may give Tenten the ability she needs..."

"What ability?" Kurenai asked, "What are you two going on about!?"

Gai and Kakashi shared a look. "Older Jonin stuff, you wouldn't understand."

The dark haired Genjutsu master's eyes narrowed. "What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing. Looks like they're about to start again. Let's focus on watching them. And then afterwards we tell them what was wrong with their attack patterns and style. Sometimes it's fun being a teacher to cute little fiery genin."

And so, the trio of Jonin watched as the battle began once more.

* * *

A normal ninja would be concerned that she was facing down five to one odds. But Tsunade wasn't worried. She still felt odd though. Something was off with all of this. Something was wrong with her...

Amber eyes flicked upwards as a barrage of kunai sailed towards her. Being a honed kunoichi, Tsunade easily dodged them all, and found the group had scattered in different directions. Wonderful, they were using their brains now. She took stock of what she knew about the group. A Hyuuga, a Aburame, a Inuzuka, a Yamanaka and a girl with a penchant for sharp weapons. A piece of cake.

With trained ears, Tsunade easily picked up the sound of something flying through the air. She ducked as another kunai sailed over her head. Quickly twisting around, she withdrew some shuriken of her own and threw them towards her assailant.

Kiba's face turned from pride as it looked like he would hit the Slug Sennin, to horror as she dodged and returned fire. "Shit!" He quickly tried to fumble together the hand signs for an Earth Wall Jutsu. However, the shuriken was quickly closing in-

There were multiple clang of metal as the exact number of shuriken Tsunade had thrown had been countered with more shuriken. They embedded into the ground with soft thuds.

Tenten charged out of the bushes, her bo-staff held tightly in her grip. Tsunade scoffed. And then leapt to the side as a chakra enhanced palm almost grazed her side. With a sharp growl of annoyance, the Slug Sannin turned on the petite Hyuuga, readying a colossal fist. She forgot about Tenten.

There was a thick _whack_ as Tenten's bo-staff connected roughly with Tsunade's shoulder. The Sennin gave a growl of pain, momentarily forgetting Hinata as she twisted around.

The brunette was not expecting Tsunade's speed, and was met by a fearsome fist to the face. She was lucky it wasn't chakra enhanced as she stumbled backwards. But the Slug Princess was not done yet, twisting around once more and trying to kick Hinata in the chest. The lavender eyed teen blocked with her arms, but was still sent flying backwards and rolling into the dirt.

"Fang over Fang!"

Two grey cyclones narrowly missed their target as Tsunade leapt to the side, cursing widely. These genin were getting the better of her. And they were genin for Kami's sake! Was it because she was deliberately going easy on them? Well, yes, of course she was. She didn't really want to kill them. But she was only blocking and defending... That was going to have to change.

Before Kiba and Akamaru could react, both were sent hurtling off as Tsunade delivered a devastating double punch to the solar plexus. She didn't stop there, forcefully striking Tenten in the shoulder, forcing her to drop her bo-staff, before she roughly grabbed her collar and yanked her upward. "I'm growing tired of your games!"

Tenten _smirked_. "Are we getting to you, Tsunade-sama?"

She didn't get time to answer.

The brunette kunoichi dissolved into hundreds of Kikaichu bugs, all latching onto Tsunade's skin and draining her chakra. She let out a cry of rage, no more playing around! She made a hand-sign, "Chakra Pulse!"

The results were staggering. A large visible wave of chakra shot out from Tsunade's body at all directions, enveloping the area before quickly dissipating. All the genin from their hiding places were blown backwards, revealing their positions. Even the three Jonin watching had to use chakra to stay upright. And, all of Shino's Kikaichu were laying motionless on the floor.

Ino was thrown against a tree, wincing at the pain in her spine. Her eyes quickly scanned the area, and Shino was struggling to get up. She stealthily crept over to him.

"Shino!" Ino hissed, helping him to his feet. "What's going on with your bugs?"

The Aburame actually seemed perturbed. "She has rendered them unconscious. An overload of chakra."

"Can you still fight?"

Shino readjusted his shades. "Not offensively. Not very well. Defensibly, that may be a-"

To Ino's surprise, the bug ninja pulled her behind him, quickly making hand-signs. "Earth Style: Earth Wall Jutsu!"

Slamming his hand into the ground, a wall of solid earth quickly formed in front of the two. Ino soon understood why. With a loud crash, the wall was shattered into a million pieces. Ino was knocked aside with a backhand,smashing against the tree with a loud crack. She groaned in pain. Her blue eyes flickering open, she realised Shino had it much worse.

He was engaged in hand to hand combat with Tsunade of the Sannin. And losing badly. Tsunade easily caught his fist, returning it with a bruising knee to the ribs. The Aburame sputtered at the loss of breath, and was quickly dispatched as Tsunade picked him up by his shoulders, and flung him into the trunk of another tree. If Ino was very unlucky, her whole group would be repeatedly thrown into the small patch of forest that made up the garden of Tsunade's home. It was a rather odd place. Nice agriculture area one minute, small patch of forest the next.

Ino really didn't have time to debate that though, as she raced off to help Shino.

* * *

Hinata breathed in heavily, her small frame pressed up against the bark of a tree. This was... insanity. Her father would flip if he found out she was challenging someone with such stature as Tsunade-sama. But she had to do it. For Lee and Naruto. Still, her chest felt like someone had piled a bunch of bricks onto it, and they refused to fall off. In fact, it felt oddly like a Jyuuken strike. Tsunade was really powerful.

The petite Hyuuga reactivated her Byakugan, having turned it off to conserve energy. She took stock of her surroundings.

There weren't many trees at all. Maybe about sixteen to twenty rows. Enough to hide in, but not enough to stay hidden for long. She could see Tsunade, running through the rows of trees trying to find any of the group. Ino was talking and trying to help Shino, who thankfully, from what Hinata could tell, was still able to talk. Kiba and Akamaru were lying in wait as Tsunade neared them. And Tenten... was at the top of a tree.

The trees were certainly high enough for someone to fall and hurt themselves, but surely Tsunade would spot her from up there? What were those two planning?

Hinata absent-mindedly noticed Kakashi-sensei, Gai-sensei and Kurenai-sensei make there way to the edge of the trees to watch the action as she darted off towards Kiba and Tenten.

* * *

Tsunade was tearing forwards. She really wanted to tear something apart. Kiba gulped. Here went nothing...

It happened in the space of four seconds. Tsunade tripped the wire that Tenten had set up, releasing a volley of kunai from the trees. Then, Akamaru jumped from his position and nipped Tsunade in the ankle. Kiba then charged, looking to barge into Tsunade to distract her.

The plan did not go well.

Tsunade kicked Akamaru off her foot, and twisted around Kiba's efforts to barge into her. She used his own momentum against him, grabbing hold of his shoulder. With a push, and his own speed, Kiba slammed his head into a tree. Then, with speed far surpassing her age, she dodged the kunai and cocked back her fist. The tree Tenten was in splintered easily, and the brunette kunoichi almost fell out. She was forced to evacuate her hiding spot as it came collapsing down. She leapt haphazardly into another tree. Or, rather, tried.

Tsunade had leapt upwards, grasping at the foot of Tenten. With a show of force, she yanked the girl downwards.

Tenten cried out in horror, twisting her foot so it was out of Tsunade's grasp. She landed on her hands, praising her teachers intelligence at teaching her something that seemed so pointless. It may have saved her from a major bruising. For now, anyway.

She brunette gave a quick look to the unconscious Kiba, grimaced, silently thanked him for helping her out, and dashed away. Tsunade growled. This brat was beginning to annoy her!

* * *

Hinata managed to reach a sprinting Tenten as Tsunade flew towards them. "Tenten!" The Hyuuga cried in horror as the Slug Sennin collided with the brunette, sending her flying head first towards the trunk of a tree. She sighed in relief as a log replaced her.

Her relief soon fell short as she ducked Tsunade's massive fist. What followed was a thirty second game of 'dodge the punch'. Hinata gracefully ducked and weaved around Tsunade, and while unable to get a hit in on the Sennin, was able to stop herself from getting seriously injured.

Tsunade momentarily admired the girls strength. In fact, all of these genin were rather talented. She smashed the thought into little pieces, and refocused. She was still being soft. Even now, she wasn't trying. These kids dared desecrate Nawaki's death!?

Amber eyes hardened until they were as strong as stone and as cold as ice.

Hinata didn't know what hit her; at first she was facing down the Slug Sennin, and the next she was staring up into the canopy. She could feel the bruise forming on her face. She tried to move her muscles, but found she couldn't.

Tsunade finished her medical ninjutsu, most likely the same one she used on Neji, and frowned. "You should have stayed out of this." She muttered, stepping over the girl.

In an act of bravery that was few and far between for the dark haired teen, she said, "Maybe. But I fought for the honour of my c-comrades. C-can you say the s-same?"

Tsunade paused for a moment, her hand resting on the trunk of a tree. She tore a chunk off, and marched away.

* * *

"What is going on!?"

Shizune angrily stomped over to the trio of Jounin, who all looked rather nervous at the prospect of an angry medical ninja. They were certainly one of the more dangerous things in the world of a shinobi.

"Tenten challenged Tsunade-sama to a fight. Then Naruto and Neji jumped in, and then the rest jumped in..." Kakashi shrugged.

Shizune looked horrified, "And you didn't try to stop them!?"

Another shrug. "There would have been no point. Besides, they're fine. More or less," He winced as Kiba's head was slammed into the trunk of a tree.

The dark haired woman sighed. "Why are they fighting, exactly? Over Lee?"

Kurenai nodded. "Yes. If Tenten wins, Tsunade-sama has to try her best to heal him."

"Ah. I did try to make her, you know? She just refused..."

"We understand Shizune," Gai sighed. "Let's just watch what happens. Kakashi has a feeling.

"A feeling?"

Kakashi turned to her and eye-smiled. "A good kind of feeling."

* * *

Tenten ducked downwards as another large rock sailed over her head. Tsunade was getting impatient, all she had to do was-

The wind was knocked out of the brunette as Tsunade slammed into her side. She hit the tree with a thud, wincing. Shit, her shoulder hurt like hell. She hesitantly stood up, her eyes locking with amber. "Now, you will give this up."

"No!" Slapping an explosive tag on the trunk of the tree she was leaning against, Tenten darted away. There was an explosion of debris and bark behind her, but the kunoichi kept running. Who was left? Naruto and Neji were still incapacitated, from what she knew. Kiba was unconscious, Hinata was unable to move... that left Ino and Shino. She had to get to them.

She picked up speed, only to have it stopped as Tsunade substituted in front of her. With a crunching kick to the stomach, Tenten was sent back the way she came. The ground was hard and unforgiving as she skidded and rolled, eventually stopping at the base of the tree with a loud _thwack_.

She coughed awkwardly, her ribs burning. Things were becoming harder and harder. Her shoulder was injured, and she was sure a rib was broken. However, she was not perturbed. She had fought with Gai and Lee numerous times, and they hit almost as hard as Tsunade. Almost. She stood up slowly, using the tree trunk for support. Tenten knew she was outmatched. Badly. She needed reinforcements.

With nimble fingers, she withdrew a bunch of shuriken and lobbed them at the busty kunoichi. Tsunade swatted them away easily, watching as Tenten ran off. Not for long.

The Slug Sennin made two hand signs, her gaze never leaving the brunette as she sprinted off. "Earth Style: Earth Wall Jutsu!"

Tenten bit out a curse as a large mass of dirt rose upwards, blocking her path. With nowhere to go, she pivoted around to run back. And was met with a large fist to the jaw. Sent hurtling backwards, it took her body a few seconds after she crashed through the wall of earth to begin the pain.

This time, however, she did not hit a tree. She felt big strong arms wrap around her, catching her and coming to a stop.

Shino placed her down. "Are you injured?"

The large bruise on her cheek was an answer in of itself. He frowned behind his collar. Her eyes kept going out of focus, she was very dazed. He lifted her into his arms bridal style, quickly leaping to the side as Tsunade's strong fist snapped a tree in half.

Shino's feet barely touched the ground as he ran, his heart pounding in his chest. This was by far the scariest opponent he had ever faced. Forget that Lightning Ninja, compared to him, Tsunade-sama was something else entirely. Joukei was as much a kitten as Tsunade was a bear. And he knew he couldn't outrun her. It was obvious, however, that she was not really trying to hurt them. In fact, he could've sworn he saw some hesitancy in her amber eyes before she struck. Still, she was trying to beat them down till they could not get back up. And that was not an option.

He weighed up his options. His plan with Ino was flimsy at best, having to be altered several times as each member of their group was taken down one by one. Tenten was flitting in and out of consciousness, her brown eyes squinting as the creep of night began to take over.

Shino grimaced. This had to end before nightfall. Or, rather, Tsunade-sama _would_ end it before nightfall. And that was fast approaching, only the tip of the sun being visible on the horizon. A light grey was cast over the trees, painting them in an eerie, ghostly manner.

He didn't have time to admire the scenery, he was getting close to where he was supposed to meet Ino. In fact, it was just ahead-

Shino took a second to realise that he had not detected Tsunade's chakra signature behind him for some time. He took one more to second to glance up. He took one more to throw Tenten as far as he could as Tsunade came crashing down on top of him.

Tenten's crash into the floor woke her with a jolt, knocking her out of the different zones of unconsciousness she kept slipping into to. She leapt upward, the pain in her ribs, jaw and shoulder almost unbearable. But she had to press on.

Tsunade stood up, examining the prone body under her. He was knocked unconscious, certainly not dead. This was good, she thought she may have overdone it a bit. But, it was finally coming to a close. This ridiculous fight. She spared a glance at Tenten, who looked worse and worse for wear for each second that passed.

The ninja wire that wrapped around her body was unexpected, and she cursed. Again, she was caught by Genin. She was pulled back against a tree, the wire zipping around and binding her tightly to the trunk. Ino leapt out from behind another tree, her hands forming a sign. "Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Tsunade scoffed, substituting with a squirrel. Ino's body slumped to the floor as she entered the squirrels mind. She cursed loudly. She had missed!

She went back to her own body, but found it couldn't move. Tsunade leaned over her, a sneer on her face. "Try better next time."

"You don't need to do this Tsunade-sama," Ino's voice was calm and clear. "Just help Lee. He's a Konoha ninja just like you! Think about what the Third Hokage said, about The Will of Fire-"

"The Will of Fire is a lie!"

* * *

The sun had now set, darkness swarming over the landscape. The trees became shapeless against the black canvas of night. Tsunade shook angrily, Ino lying prone on her back, and Tenten frustratingly trying to focus on times gone to get the pain to go away.

"The Will of Fire is a lie," Tsunade repeated, "Everything that old man has ever said was a lie. A pathetic facade to pull the wool over your eyes. There is no comradeship in Konoha, or any ninja village. I lost the two most important people in my life because of that village, and I am not returning, nor helping anyone from there!"

Tenten bit back tears. "You truly are scum. And to think I used to respect someone so foul!"

"I'M TIRED OF THESE GAMES!"

With a roar, Tsunade mercilessly charged forward. Tenten smirked.

She leapt into the air, using her chakra enhanced feet to stick to the two trees. Tsunade couldn't stop in time as she tripped a ninja wire, and with it, a pair of explosive tags on the floor. Tenten leapt downwards, scooped Ino into her arms, and bolted. The explosion rocked the forest, the shockwaves sending Tenten flying straight into a tree. Ino took the brunt of the impact, crying out in pain. "Shit," The Yamanaka swore. Tenten leant against the trunk of another tree.

"Are you alright Ino?" The brunette asked, panting heavily.

"Been better."

Despite the situation, Tenten laughed bitterly. "I know what you mean."

Ino smiled softly, wincing as she moved. "I think I've broken a rib," she muttered. "Listen to me Tenten," She began, whispering hushed things into the brunettes ear as they rested.

Tenten's eyes widened. She thanked Ino, placed her safely down, and went to investigate the carnage.

* * *

Tsunade was at the end of her rope. Properly, this time. She'd been saying that a lot. But this time... she meant it.

She was lucky enough to reinforce her body with chakra, rendering the explosion almost useless. Still, the smoke had covered her tracks. She was masking her chakra carefully as Tenten came to inspect...

Leaping out from cover, Tsunade kicked Tenten in the back of the head, sending her flying out of the patch of trees and back into the courtyard.

"Tsunade-sama, stop this!"

Shizune's voice didn't reach her. Or, rather, it reached her ears, but didn't break the barrier of rage. She stomped forward as Tenten shakily rose upwards. She certainly had a concussion. Good. One more punch, and she'd be out.

_Drip, drip, drip._

Tsunade froze. The ruby red liquid trailed down Tenten's arm, a twisted smirk on the brunettes face. "You have a fear of blood, Tsunade-sama?"

The Slug Sennin stood transfixed on the blood as it dripped down Tenten's arm and onto the grass. "It's a shame that you do. A mighty member of the Legendary Sannin, stopped in her tracks by a simple drop of blood.

Tsunade didn't even notice Tenten getting closer. And she certainly didn't notice the fist as it smashed into her face, most likely breaking her nose. She staggered back, the feeling of blood trailing down her face. It was on her fingers, it was on her fingers! She closed her eyes, trying to block out the visions of Nawaki and Dan...

Another blow to the gut, and another, and another. Tenten viciously pushed back Tsunade, every blow doing more and more damage. The Slug Sennin could only feel the pain as Tenten's fists rained down upon her. _Blood, blood, blood, blood, BLOOD!_

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune's voice reached her ears, but the deafening pounding in her head blocked it out. She could feel the four pairs of eyes, all Jonin, watching her. Judging her. Pitying her.

"You must help him, you must help him! HELP HIM!" Tenten's anguished cries grew louder and louder as her fists grew bloodier and bloodier. Tsunade's face was covered in cuts and bruises. But it wasn't enough.

"Help hi-"

Tsunade caught her fist. There was a beat of silence. Tsunade's amber eyes flickered open. Tenten's brown ones widened.

The Slug Sennin's hand shot out, grabbing and squeezing Tenten's neck. The brunette tried to cry out in fear, but couldn't, her windpipe being crushed. "This is the end!"

With a roar, part anger and part anguish, Tsunade raised Tenten high up into the air by her neck, and slammed her down to the floor, a colossal explosion of debris coating the area with a thick cloud of dust.

Shizune went to race off, but Kakashi stopped her. "Are you an idiot!?" She roared, "Tenten could be horribly injured."

"Let's wait and see what happens."

"No, I-"

"Shizune-san," Gai spoke, "Let's us see what happens."

Shizune blinked, but fell back into line as the dust settled.

Tsunade breathed in and out, in and out. She felt immensely tired, but also as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Blood... it didn't seem so scary anymore. She had beaten it, she had beaten it! She looked downwards, amber eyes filling once more with anger at the beaten form of Tenten. But... she still ruined his day. If it wasn't bad enough already.

Rage consumed the Slug Sennin, ugly sadistic rage. With a vicious punt, she kicked Tenten squarely in the ribs, sending her flying a few feet away.

It took a moment for horror to set in. She had punted a child, a _child_ so hard in the ribs, she could of cracked them all.

It was then, to her shock and rage, Tenten slowly stood up. What was this girls problem, why wouldn't she stay down!? The busty kunoichi gritted her teeth, racing forward and hitting the genin with an uppercut. She staggered backwards, landing on the floor with a thud. But she stood up, wiped her jaw, and advanced.

Tsunade almost didn't dodge the sloppy punch that the girl had thrown her way. Why wasn't staying down. "Admit defeat!" She yelled, slamming her palm into the brunette's gut. She coughed up a glob blood, collapsing to her knees. And yet, in the space of a few seconds, she was back up.

"Stay down! Why do you keep rising!?"

Tsunade back-handed the girl, sending her spinning and crashing into the earth. She was down for longer, Tenten's pained breaths filling the air. Finally, with shaky arms, she began to push herself up. "Because... My friends are my family. Every single one of them is a precious person. Lee is like my brother... and you won't help him."

She woozily swung around, despite all the pain in her eyes, one emotion beat them all; defiance.

"You'll have to kill me to stop me from standing up to help my family. They're my precious people and I won't let your selfishness endanger their lives! I will keep getting up till my legs don't work. If my legs don't work, I'll claw at you. If my arms don't work, I'll bite your head off!" Tenten paused, breathless. "And... if that's not enough... then I'll die knowing I tried my hardest to protect the ones I love."

Tsunade opened and closed her mouth multiple times. Pictures of Dan and Nawaki flew through her mind, pictures of her trying to save her love, pictures of her mourning over her little brothers grave. She replaced that with Tenten, mourning over the loss of one of her closest friends. Her family.

"I'll help."

Tenten blinked, thinking her ears must of failed her. "What?"

"I said... I'll help," She spoke louder this time, "You win." Amber eyes locked with brown in a show of understanding. "You've got guts kid. More importantly, you got heart. I've lacked both of those for a long time."

Tenten looked wary, but offered a small, tired smile. She then collapsed to the floor.

Tsunade sighed, tiredly surveying the destruction and bodies of genin she had fought. What a day.

"Shizune!" She barked, causing the dark-haired woman to jump out of her skin.

"Y-yes Tsunade-sama?"

"You got enough energy to heal these brats?"

Shizune blanched, but nodded her head. "Good, 'cause I need a drink and some sleep."

And the member of the Legendary Sannin sauntered off back into the house.

"I... what... huh?" Shizune asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "Told you, everything would work out for the better. The kids got a bit of exercise, got their asses soundly beaten. This helped them learn what it was like to face a powerful opponent, and we got to observe their improvised tactics. We can use that to benefit them. And, Lee is now getting help from Tsunade-sama. I'm a genius."

Shizune was still opening and closing her mouth in disbelief as she walked over to Tenten's prone form, leaning down to examine her.

"YOSH! My most hip and youthful rival has once again used his ingenious intelligence to help my students! The fires of youth burn within us all my eternal rival. For your bout of generosity and wise ways, I shall do three-hundred one finger push-ups while balancing two boulders on my back. But first, to help the lovely Shizune-san gather up the most wondrous genin. Yosh!"

Kakashi and Kurenai both stuck a finger in their ears as Gai skipped away. Youthful Gai was back, which made a... change to the serious Gai they had been stuck with for the past hour.

"You totally winged that, didn't you?" Kurenai said.

Kakashi eye-smiled. "Me, winging something? No, not at all-"

"Kakashi." The wine eyed Genjutsu user threatened.

"Fine. Yes, totally winged it. I'm surprised it turned out as well as it did, I thought I was going to have to step in a few times."

"Maybe we should of. They were beaten badly Kakashi!"

"Yes, and? The life of a ninja is dangerous, and they need to learn to fight on their own. We can't always be there to look after them. They'll all wake up tomorrow with some aches, bruises, and their egos in tatters. And they have a week to recover, so they'll be fit and healthy by the time the mission starts."

Kurenai merely shook her head in disbelief. "You really like driving them insane, don't you?"

"Indeed. It's part of the fun of being a teacher, teasing your cute little genin is what makes this job worthwhile!" Kakashi eye-smiled.

And so the most explosive night that most of the young genin had ever experienced came to a close. Well, until next week.

* * *

**And there we go! So, I've got quite a few things to talk about, mainly questions I reckon I'll get in reviews.**

**We'll start with Tsunade herself. As you may have noticed, I've given her some more abilities, including some Ninjutsu and some special chakra techniques. I've always felt that Tsunade was a bit underwhelming in canon, and I've taken the liberty of increasing her move-list. So, in my fic, she'll most likely be a fantastic combatant, more so than in canon. Now, obviously she was tricked quite a lot in this fight, whereas if this was an honest fight, Tsunade probably could've done one or two moves and wiped everybody out. That wouldn't have made for very interesting writing, so I took some liberties with that. Let's just say she underestimated them.**

**We come to now, probably a part of this chapter that may split peoples opinions and how it was handled. I'm talking about Tsunade's change of heart from the beginning to the end of the fight. You could say it was sloppy writing, I suppose. I wouldn't say that. I'd use this in my defense.**

**During this fight, Tsunade's mindset has not been the greatest. Considering that this was a day of pain, sorrow and anger for her, her mood would most certainly swing from calm, to angry. A small part of Tsunade realises how horrible she is being, and is trying to fight that, but the ferocious bitter side continues to dominate. Slowly but surely, the groups reasoning gets through to her, but also increases her anger tenfold. She's constantly being questioned for something deep down she knows is right, but just can't bring herself to agree. This makes her angry, deeply so. Keeping in mind the adrenaline running through her veins, it certainly must've affected her judgement. Now, with her getting over her fear of blood; she hasn't. Well, she's taken steps, but she hasn't gotten over it. Again, it was in the heat of the moment, anger and bitterness took over. So, while she's improved in her fear of blood, it's certainly not gone. With this 'triumph', coupled with the words Tenten spoke, the adrenaline coursing through her veins, and her conscious finally catching up with her, she realises what a fool she's been. Was it very well-explained why she changed her mind? Not overly, but give it time. I will go into more detail about it later. **

**That's my little defence rant thing. If you have any questions, leave them in a review. And, to round everything up really fast, I'm looking to give each character their own unique Taijutsu style, or each have different variations of a similar style. Having done research, I've found it hard to find out much information on different styles of martial arts that only go into the bare basics. I will try to create my own different styles, but a decent understanding of the basic and normal martial arts, and their different variations and styles would be most beneficial. If anybody knows of a website, knows firsthand about Martial Arts, or would like to help me come up with different Martial Styles for the characters, let me know in a review or a PM, and we'll talk.**

**I'm off to watch some Dr. Who and then some Anime. So, have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey everybody, and welcome to chapter thirty-three of the Winds of Change! A couple of things to start with:**

**I've had a couple of complaints about the last chapter, and how Naruto and co managed to go 'toe-to-toe' with Tsunade. I understand your complaints, and will take them into account in the future.**

**However, I will not discuss that now, nor any other questions prior to this chapter. Why? Because we're finally here. The Assault begins, people. After 33 chapters, we are here! It's taken this long, and I hope it lives up to your expectations. As for any questions during this arc, feel free to ask them, but I may not answer. I'm sure that I'll clear up any questions in the Assault or the next arc. However, if I cannot think of a reason why they are not, I will answer your questions in a PM and then an authors note.**

**And that's it! So, enjoy, and I give you Chapter 33, of the Winds of Change!**

* * *

Chapter 33:

* * *

The calm before the storm. That was an expression Kakashi Hatake often heard, and it certainly made sense for these next few hours.

It was the dead of night, a calm cool breeze blowing along the grassy plains. The foliage was thick and long, perfect for concealing themselves. Although, to a trained eye, it wouldn't do much. He silently thanked Kami that they had Kurenai with them for cover, otherwise... well, things would get a lot messier.

It had been a week since Tenten confronted Tsunade, and things were getting better. There had been a lot of training, a _lot._ Everyday, eight hours a day, pure physical exercise. It was tough, and grueling, but needed.

He felt Sasuke twitch beside him. His singular grey eye traveled to the stony gaze of the Uchiha as he stared forwards. He was anxious. And excited. Beside him, Naruto could barely contain his feelings. The sheer thought of a proper engagement (Naruto swore that the fight with Tsunade didn't count, as she cheated. That led to fists on his head and facepalms allround).

Sadly, Kakashi was forced to go back and stay with the Itachi's group. And he had to say, he was impressed by their level of skill. Their diversity and teamwork was on par with most Konoha shinobi, so Itachi must have done something right. It was impressive, and a complement to his teaching skills. On the run for how many years, picking up random kids and training them as ninja... it must have been tough. Almost unbearable at times.

Kakashi didn't envy him one bit.

He absently flicked his gaze over to Naruto, "Conceal your chakra better."

The blonde grumbled under his breath. "I'm doing the best I can!" He hissed.

"Do better then Dobe."

"Why you-"

"Quiet," Kurenai whispered heatedly, flicking both boys in the back of the head. "We're on a mission."

"Hn."

Kakashi smiled. Although, he did wish he could read Icha Icha. Being caught in a prone position, however, forbade that from happening.

He decided to check everyone's chakra signatures. Sasuke and Naruto were anxious, ready to get into combat. Although, they seemed far more stand-offish around each other than usual, Naruto especially. That was odd. Naruto was certainly stubborn, but so rude and stand-offish? Sasuke seemed more... reserved and thoughtful, if that was even possible.

Team Eight seemed to be in top shape, more or less. Hinata was certainly nervous, but Shino's calm chakra and Kiba's excited energy seemed to be keeping her more or less confident. He attempts to speak to Naruto, however, according to Kurenai, had all been rebuffed. Although, she only spoke of that a little bit, more interested in discussing her students success with-

A flare of annoyed chakra caught The Copy Ninja's attention. He snorted lightly. Shikamaru and Ino were at it again, most likely glaring at each other. It was amusing, although needed to be toned down. Thi was a mission, not a time for adolescent squabbles.

Neji and Tenten were perfectly calm, waiting patiently for orders. Gai was doing the same, although whispering in a hushed tone about the Power of Youth to his charges. Needless to say, they were becoming more annoyed by the minute.

And Shizune was in medic mode, having packed multiple first aid kits, and soldier pills. Kakashi had to compliment her skills as a medical ninja. She easily managed to heal the group after their fight against Tsunade, even after an exhausting day of healing them the day before. And not to mention the helpful training she gave the girls and boys in learning to dodge attacks, or so he was told.

Yes, this mission would be a success. And then he would have his full-set of cute little genin back.

"Kakashi-sensei, why do we need to work with weirdos?" Naruto asked, pointing to the other prone group a few metres across from them.

"Because Naruto," Kakashi gently chided, "They're our new allies. It's complicated, but just know they're here to help get Sakura back."

The blonde nodded, and went back to his musings.

It was determined by both Kakashi and Itachi that keeping both groups separate, especially during an anxious time such as the beginning of a mission, would probably be for the best. They'd have plenty of time to get to know each other when they reached Konoha, however.

The reaction for Itachi's new group was mixed, to say the least. Of course he didn't mention Itachi, that would've sent people on mad rampages and screaming fits. He simply mentioned they were getting help from Missing Ninja who had similar goals in rescuing a teammate. He had neglected to mention about them coming back to Konoha, simply because of the unease that the others showed at the sheer thought of the other nin helping them.

Neji and Shino managed to quell their worries, but Naruto, Kiba, Tenten and Ino were still cautious. Kakashi felt a pinch in the pit of his gut. A small pang of guilt at keeping the truth from Sasuke. He quashed it. It was the right thing, for the good of the village. He tried to tell himself that, anyway.

So, patiently, he waited for Itachi to give the signal. The lowering of the Genjutsu around the dome, and the specific smell that led the way to Sakura Haruno, his student. And he was going to get her back. And he dared anybody to try and stop him.

* * *

Their forms were sloppy. The one-hundred men in the room moved so very sloppy. They didn't think about their movements, never tried to innovate. Followed the same basic structure over, and over, and over again.

The conscripts were nervous. Of course they were. Stuck under the thumb of Orochimaru, forced to fight in something they didn't understand, only taught how to wield kunai a few months ago, maybe even sooner. Some looked like they had just learned that day. They stayed near the front. Cannon fodder.

The ones in the back were more alert, more focused. They held their weapons and kept their chakra relatively unnoticeable. They were the secondary cannon fodder. The more experienced, the more trained. The infantry, the basic soldiers of war.

He picked them apart easily.

It was subtle at first; smoke slowly crawling across the floor. Eventually it reached ankle height, and people began to notice. Thick wispy mist soon formed around them. And they heard it then. The hissing. The low, muffled sound of multiple smoke bombs.

Thirty.

A barrage of kunai sailed over the conscripts heads, embedding themselves in three of the chunnin behind them.

Twenty-Nine.

Shuriken flew from all sides, hitting and killing two more chunnin.

Twenty-Eight.

The conscripts began to panic; fear began to set in. The smoke was like an impenetrable barrier, keeping all the good in the world out, and all the evil in.

Twenty-Seven.

A cry from a chunnin punctuated the air as the smoke got thicker and thicker.

Twenty-Six.

A portion of the smoke cleared, revealing the body of a man, throat slit, blood pooling on the floor.

Twenty-Five.

A chunnin flashed through some hand-signs, yelling out, "Fire Style: Fire-"

The words died in his throat.

Twenty-Four.

Two chunnin ambled into the conscripts, their necks caked with bloods as they choked.

Twenty-Three.

Pure horror descended. Screaming and horrific sounds coming from all sides. Something like flesh ripping bounced off the wall of smoke.

Twenty-Two.

A beat of silence.

Twenty-One.

A gut curdling screech.

Twenty.

Six men, their eyes missing, shuffled over, dropping to the floor.

Nineteen.

_Drip, drip, drip._ The conscripts looked up. A skinned body hung over them.

Eighteen.

Paralysation. They couldn't move, fear refused to allow them that.

Seventeen.

Writhing. Something was writhing underneath their feet.

Sixteen.

They could feel it crawling up their clothes, on their skin. Wet, and slimy.

Fifteen.

Slugs. It was slugs.

Fourteen.

One screamed as the slugs entered his mouth and nose, and he dropped to the floor.

Thirteen.

The slugs seemed to dissipate, replaced with bits of flesh. And blood.

Twelve.

Ravens descended.

Eleven.

They pecked and clawed viciously, scratching at the conscripts heads and backs.

Ten.

The feeling of warmth on their skin.

Nine.

Liquid, pouring from every crevice.

Eight.

New crevices began to form, breaking and cracking the skin.

Seven.

Blood. Blood now streamed from every pore of the body.

Six.

Hands began to melt.

Five.

Bodies began to melt.

Four.

Skeletons, still standing, still conscious, remained.

Three.

Dust.

Two.

Only dust remained of the conscripts, as it scattered to the wind.

* * *

One conscript opened his eyes bleary. The blood of his comrades, the chunnin, soaked the floor. Their bodies were scattered, quickly and cleanly killed. The conscripts... were alive?

A figure darted in front of his vision. The conscript looked up.

Obsidian eyes stared back, cold and dark.

"One."

* * *

The idea behind the signal was solid. Hatake, Kakashi specifically, had a very, very good sense of smell. While not on par with an Inuzuka's by any means, it was certainly strong enough to detect certain odours.

Kakashi immediately stiffened as he smelt it. Pepper. He wrinkled his nose in irritation. Certainly not the best thing to smell, but it was effective.

"You sense something?" Gai asked from behind him. Kakashi nodded.

"Smell. The signal. Now we wait for Itami."

Itami was the codename given to Itachi. Made it easier to refer to him with a fake name, instead of 'helper' or something equally as stupid.

They waited two minutes.

Kurenai's brow furrowed. "His chakra is moving away from the area at a fast pace."

Kakashi's brain went into overdrive. Was he abandoning them? He glanced at the other group. No, he wouldn't leave them behind. Leaving behind valuable assets such as them would be a waste. And Itachi was not as clinical as he made himself out to be. Besides, his shadow clone was still with them. Perhaps to alert them? No, Itachi wasn't the sort of person to back-stab... or was he? Whatever he was doing, it better not screw up the plan.

"Forget it," Kakashi whispered. "Let's move in."

Kurenai, Gai and Shizune both nodded, alerting the rest of their team. With a practiced hand movement, the group sprinted forward, soft thuds against the long grass.

"Kurenai," Kakashi ordered.

The wine eyed Jonin nodded, placing her hands together in a sign. There was a slight wavering in the air, like something hot shimmering in the distance. Eventually, a rounded grey dome appeared before them. A small entrance hatch was atop it.

Kakashi smiled. This was going good. They were almost there...

The rumbling was distant at first, but audible. And it grew louder, and louder, as if the heavens themselves were shaking. Finally, with three great cracks forming in the ground, and a uproar of earth, the beings appeared.

Kakashi stopped in his tracks. "Defensive maneuvers!" He called.

Three giant centipedes loomed over the group, sharp pincers snapping shut as they eyed their prey. They were a rustic yellow, small legs wiggling, long body writhing.

"What the hell!" Kiba cried out in panic, Akamaru following close behind him.

"Leave this to the Jonin, make it to the hatch!" Gai yelled, reaching for his kunai pouch. "Neji, lead them!"

The Hyuga nodded. "Follow me," he commanded, and dashed. The rest of the genin reluctantly followed him.

"No, I want to fight!" Naruto exclaimed as Sasuke half dragged him forwards.

The Uchiha gritted his teeth in irritation. "Not now! We need to save our energy-"

Sasuke barely noticed the speeding centipede as it's pincers descended upon him. Through instinct alone, he roughly barged into Naruto and leapt to the side. Earth was upheaved as the two teammates skidded on the ground.

Neji turned and grimaced. "Damn them... Tenten, Kiba, with me! Shino, get to the exit hatch!"

The Aburame nodded, and directed his gaze at Kiba as the dog nin bounded off to catch up with Neji, Akamaru at his heels. He felt something deep inside of him... worry.

He quashed the feelings, and quickly directed the group towards the hatch.

* * *

"Are they summons?" Shizune asked, as the two centipedes stared at them with unblinking yellow eyes.

Kakashi grimaced. "Possibly. Only one way to find out. We need to deal with this quickly, the others are in danger. Shizune, Kurenai, deal with the one on the left. Gai, with me."

The four Jonin nodded their heads, and then charged.

The centipede on the right made a sickly sound, before spitting out snot coloured blobs at the two nin. Kakashi and Gai dodged them expertly, making note of how the globs began to melt and scorch the earth. Acid? Possibly.

The Copy Nin nimbly pulled out a kunai, throwing it with precise aim. The unpredictable swaying of the centipede made the metal knife fly off target however, the large insect taking the offensive and shooting forward. Kakashi kept running, until the centipede's pincers were almost on top of him. Then, with agility unmatched, he pushed chakra into his feet and jumped. The centipede's head crashed into the dirt as Kakashi sailed over him.

Gai was up next, running forward at full speed as the centipede reared his head. With an almighty squishing sound, Gai's fist collided with the insect's face, breaking through the armour and straight into the brain.. A green sticky substance oozed out of the now crushed and mangled face, the centipede going limp.

Kakashi smiled as Gai pulled out his arm, shaking it to get all the muck off. He glanced over to Kurenai and Shizune.

The Konoha Genjutsu Specialist had put the beast in a genjutsu, causing some form of paralysis. Kurenai and Shizune hacked into the insect, until the number of cuts and gashes far outweighed the normal sticky armour of the bug. Kurenai finished off, wiping down her kunai quickly, before nodding at Kakashi.

The four Jonin sped off.

* * *

Sasuke scowled in annoyance as he leapt backwards, fingering four shuriken from his pouch as he threw them at the giant insect. His annoyance grew as the unpredictable movements of the centipede rendered it useless to use thrown weapons.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto quickly dodged as the beast swerved towards him, the blonde shouting obscenities, "Help me out!"

Sasuke smirked, ready to do just that.

"Hold your ground Sasuke," Neji barked out an order, flanked by Tenten and Kiba. "Head back to the others, we'll deal with-"

All four genin leapt out of the way of the centipede as it charged them, narrowly avoiding being caught in it's pincers.

Neji was about to begin organizing an attack, but stopped as a fixture of irritation crossed his face.

A figure leapt into the air, dual katana shining against the moonlight. With a practiced swipe like an x motion, an explosion of sticky green coated the ground from the now headless centipede.

Kataki barely acknowledged the Konoha genin, rushing past them as the others followed.

Neji watched as Raion, Gurei, Fenris, Utsuro, and the Itachi clone transformed into Tali ran off after their 'leader'. But, where was-

A loud slap on Neji's ass jolted the Hyuga into action, as he swung around to strike whoever had assaulted him. Kura was long gone by then, waving back at him with a lecherous grin.

"...What just happened?" Kiba asked, "Were they our reinforcements?"

"I certainly hope not," Tenten muttered under her breath.

"Enough, let's get going."

"Yes master," Sasuke snidely remarked, as the group followed after their current squad leader, Naruto yelling about how he 'didn't get to kick the caterpillar's ass!'

* * *

Shino and the rest of the group reached the dome, leaping atop it. "Anybody willing to help me open it?"

Shikamaru looked bored, and Hinata looked nervous. Ino rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll help!"

The two genin, with a lot of physical effort, pulled open the hatch. Why this 'Itami' guy couldn't just leave it open for them was a mystery they would most likely never solve.

"Right, let's wait for the others-"

Shino's Kikaichu buzzed loudly as he dodged a kunai, the little beetles swarming out of his trench coat.

"You killed my pets!" A voice boomed.

A tall, slender man leapt out of the hatch, his purple hair greasy and long. He wore something akin to a formal kimono, or what once was, holes and tears adorning the muddish brown piece of clothing. An Otogakure forehead protector lay around his waist.

"Your pets deserved to die. Why, you ask? Because you are the enemy, and you kidnapped a member of Konoha."

"You're looking for the girl? Heh, which one? They'll be dead soon enough-"

The kunai pierced the man's throat, silencing him. He gurgled, his hands feebly attempting to pull out the knife as his blood ran down his neck and chest. Finally, his eyes glazed over, and he fell forwards, into the hatch. There was a dull thud at the bottom.

Ino swallowed awkwardly. Her first time witnessing a kill was not... pleasent. Not like she expected it to be, but...

Kakashi landed beside them. "Everyone alright?" He asked.

They nodded as Kataki and his group, followed close behind by Neji and his gang, reached them.

The Konoha nin shared some heated glares with Kataki's group, but that was eclipsed by the dark abyss that led down the hatch. All of the genin shared uncertain glances.

"Ready?" Kakashi asked, in a strict tone. There could be _no_ backing out now.

There was silence for a few moments, the group unsure what to say. Finally, Naruto yelled, "Time to save Sakura, believe it!"

The Copy Nin eye-smiled. Naruto was always the moral booster. Even Kataki's group seemed to smirk at his little comment.

"Good. Shall we?"

And with that, Kakashi leapt into the hatch.

Sasuke blinked. "There is a ladder, right?"

Gai nodded vigorously, a bright smile adorning his face. "Yosh! My most youthful and hip rival Kakashi thinks he can out jump me!? Well, onward!"

The Green Beast of Konoha ran towards the edge of the hatch, turned around, and fell backwards.

There was a beat of silence.

"That dudes insane." Kura stated.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "You have no idea..."

Shino adjusted his glasses, his Kikaichu funnelling back down the collar of his trench coat, "It's not as if our cover has been blown. Our attack by the giant Centipede certainly caused loud disruptions, and has most likely alerted the enemy to our presence-"

"Thanks Shino," Kiba clapped his friend on the back, much to the Aburame's annoyance, "Let's go!"

The group followed after the two slightly odd Jonin, one by one. Some would say like a well organized unit. Others, like lambs to the slaughter.

* * *

**And that's that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry it's slightly shorter than my other ones. I can't comment on the chapter lengths, honestly, since I've got a strict plan of what happens during this arc. So, that's it! I hope you enjoyed, and have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!**


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